


there's something warm about the snow

by krizzlesandblues



Series: of gods and celestial beings [1]
Category: Big Bang (Band), Winner (Band)
Genre: Drabble Collection, Gen, M/M, different plots per act, gods and celestial beings au, mostly inspired by greek mythology, please take note of my notes!!!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2019-08-14 00:31:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 41,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16482668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krizzlesandblues/pseuds/krizzlesandblues
Summary: jinwoo: underworld, winter, wealth, fear





	1. act 01 - god of the underworld

For mortals and gods, winter meant harsh snowstorms, freezing air and heavy snowfall. Winter meant hot cups and warm blankets and longer sleep.  
  
However, for Jinwoo, winter is his favorite season—a perfect time to leave the Underworld and mingle with mortals.  
  
Dressed in a heavy coat over layers of wool and cardigan (just for the sake of going along with the charade of being human), he walked on the almost-deserted, snowy streets of Mapo-gu, his breaths forming into tiny puffs from the cold.  
  
He entered a convenience shop and bought himself a hot bowl of instant noodles, and ate it outside. He watched the snowflakes fall and melt into the ground, and savored the winter air in the city.  
  
A few humans still lingered and strolled in the streets, probably doing last-minute shopping or going home from parties. The streetlamps and the shop signs illuminated Mapo-gu—but it wasn’t much, much stuffy for Jinwoo to handle. As much as he liked being with people, it drained him sometimes whenever he had to deal with a crowd.  
  
His attention was caught when he heard two drunken men laughing loudly, breaking the calm stillness of the evening. They seemed to be poking fun towards something—and did he just hear a cat’s broken mewl?  
  
Curious, he stood up and approached them. To his anger and repulsion, he realized that the men were throwing rocks towards two stray cats, which were already bruised and almost broken beyond repair.  
  
“Hey,” Jinwoo called out in a low voice, walking behind the men. “Leave those cats alone.”  
  
The men stopped from throwing rocks halfway and turned towards him. “Huh?” one of them muttered. “Who’re ya and whadd’ya want, huh?”  
  
“Leave,” Jinwoo spoke softly. “And stop hurting these innocent cats.”  
  
“Oi,” the other man shuffled shakily towards him and grinned lopsidedly. “Leave us, pretty boy—unless . . . y’wanna join?”  
  
“Mm, yes,” his companion added in a leering tone, his eyes staring up and down at Jinwoo’s body. “Ya might give us a hot night, pretty boy, hahaha!”  
  
Jinwoo sighed internally. This was another reason why he didn’t like interacting with humans a lot—especially those who are considerably lower than scum for him.  
  
Take these humans, for example.  
  
He didn’t hate humanity, really—there are times he honestly admired them—but right now, they deserve a merciless judgment.  
  
Growling under his breath, he glared darkly at the men, whose faces were flushed with alcohol and lust. His silver deer eyes morphed to dark pools of black to glowing crimson as he muttered, “I said, _disperse_.”  
  
The men suddenly froze, like statues, and slowly disintegrated into dust joining the snowflakes in the air. The nearby plants withered into blackness as well, the air became colder, and the atmosphere went dead— except for the shivering cats.  
  
Seeing the shaking creatures, Jinwoo crouched down and reached out towards the cats. The cats recoiled, still shaking, meowing in pain and terror.  
  
“Please do not fear me,” Jinwoo begged in a clear, melodious tone. “I may be a god of the Underworld, but do not fear me. I can handle myself now—and I only meant to protect you.”  
  
He gently stroked the cats with his fingers, noticing the wounds and bruises on their bodies. He could not heal them, as he is from the Underworld, but he hoped that maybe any of the gods of the earth—Seungyoon or Seunghoon, maybe—will do so.  
  
“Do come with me,” Jinwoo said softly. “My abode here with the human realm is warm, and my friend will heal you.”  
  
He gently carried the cats in his arms and covered them with his coat. He then walked home—a bungalow two streets away—while summoning a crow to deliver a message to Seungyoon. He’d remembered that Seunghoon really isn’t a winter person, but Seungyoon could handle it.  
  
The cats cuddled closer to Jinwoo, seeking warmth. Jinwoo smiled at the cats’ budding trust in him and wished Seungyoon would arrive soon.


	2. act 01 - a god of spring

“The cats are now fine, hyung,” Seungyoon reassured Jinwoo as he gently petted the sleeping felines. He’d received Jinwoo’s message earlier through the crow and sped towards the bungalow as soon as he could. Upon seeing the cats in Jinwoo’s arms, he quickly cast a few healing spells and fed them several flower petals in order to heal.  
  
“Thank goodness,” Jinwoo breathed in relief as he set down the teapot. “They were really . . . bruised when I saw them. Thank you for healing them, Seungyoon.”  
  
Seungyoon stood up from the rug-covered floor and helped Jinwoo out in setting the snacks—green tea and cream biscuits. Pouring himself a cup of tea he said, “No problem, hyung. Where did you find these cats, by the way?”  
  
“By the streets, being played around by drunken humans,” Jinwoo replied, his eyes darkening as he remembered what happened earlier.  
  
Seungyoon smiled wryly, seeing the other god’s expression. “I guess I don’t need to ask what happened to those humans anymore.”  
  
Jinwoo grinned slightly.  
  
They spent a few minutes basking in the warmth brought by the hearth, the fire crackling and dancing as the winter breeze occasionally entered through the bungalow’s windows. Later Seungyoon asked, “What do you plan with the cats, then?”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“Do you have any plans of taking these cats with you, hyung?”  
  
Jinwoo thought for a moment. “I probably will—but after the cats are really well and healthy. And—as much as I hate to do this—I might cast a bit or two spells so the cats can thrive in the Underworld. Maybe.”  
  
Seungyoon took a sip of his tea as he nodded. “That might be the only way to let the cats from the earth to survive in the realm of the Underworld. Maybe I can help you with that?”  
  
Jinwoo shook his head. “No need, Seungyoon—I’ll be fine. You think it will be okay, though?”  
  
“I think so—I mean, one of the former gods of the Underworld had a cat, too. I think that cat’s still with him in Celestrium . . .”  
  
Jinwoo nodded to himself, satisfied, and poured himself another cup of tea. “Any plans while you’re still here in the human world, Yoonie?” he asked after a moment.  
  
Seungyoon shrugged. “Not much—I’d probably linger here for a while before going back to study some charms with Jiho-hyung or Lord Taeyang. I can’t stand Seunghoon-hyung’s loudness lately—it’s as if every day’s summer for him.”  
  
Jinwoo chuckled. “Except if it starts to snow.”  
  
“Yes, that’s true,” Seungyoon agreed, laughing.  
  
“You’re not going to meet Mino?” Jinwoo suddenly asked.  
  
“How am I supposed to meet him when—for some reason—he keeps on avoiding me, hyung?” Seungyoon huffed.  
  
Jinwoo smiled to himself. “Oh well, let him be by himself, I guess. And also—while you’re here, you can stay in my bungalow if you’d like.”  
  
Seungyoon blinked in surprise. “You wouldn’t mind the extra company?”  
  
“So long as the extra company is you and everyone,” Jinwoo smiled reassuringly. “I’m not that much of a shut-in, despite their impressions about me.”  
  
Seungyoon grinned. “That, you aren’t.”


	3. act 00 - dusk ; daybreak

“It’s such a shame that he has to be a god of the underworld . . .”  
  
“He’s too beautiful to belong in the underworld!”  
  
“Really, such a shame . . .”  
  
Jinwoo sighed internally, annoyed and exasperated by all the whispers he’d been hearing ever since he entered the Great Hall. This is exactly why he preferred to stay in his place in the Underworld or be with his fellow inhabitants—rather than exchange fake pleasantries with other gods in this gathering.  
  
It had always been like this—deities complimenting him for his looks, for his ethereal gloriousness, yet ask why he was sent to the bleak underworld. It was so tiring—it wasn’t as if he asked or wanted it in the first place. Even in his demigod days . . . or even in his human memories . . . he knew it wasn’t his destiny to be with the flowers budding in the spring or the wildness of summer—it was always with the cold, harsh winds of winter.  
  
More than that, it was _suffocating_. Even in his loose, dark tunic, it was getting hard for him to breathe. He really had to get used with the crowds, especially that the gatherings of gods were getting more frequent . . .  
  
Sighing once more, he scanned any area where he can stay for a while. To his relief, he spotted a small balcony by the large window, and he walked towards it.  
  
From the balcony, he could see the wide expanse of the Hall’s gardens—beautiful and blooming with bright colored flowers, as always. He guessed that the sweet fragrance in the air could be any of the gods of the earth’s doing, the god of spring most probably.  
  
Glancing up at the vesper skies, he realized that spring would be over soon, summer taking over. Jinwoo didn’t hate the spring or summer, but sometimes, he just wished the snow would stick more to the grass, the winter breeze linger more in the air . . .  
  
“The sky’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Jinwoo heard somebody say, and he slightly turned his head to look. A tall, blond man was smiling at him, his white tunic swaying slightly with the breeze. A god of the earth, Jinwoo guessed, basing on the bright aura he possessed.  
  
“Ah, yes,” Jinwoo said, albeit shyly. “The vivid colors are so unreal—I wish I could capture it through a painting. Only, I do not know how to paint.”  
  
“A friend of mine knows how,” the god told him, still smiling. “He’d love to be challenged with that—maybe you know him, by chance.”  
  
Jinwoo shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t,” he said apologetically. “In fact, I do not know much of the gods here—I mean, except for the higher gods, I only know them by face, never by name,” he admitted.  
  
The god’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “That’s strange. You do not try to know the names of a few gods at least?”  
  
Jinwoo shook his head. How could he ever say that he never wanted to know those names, names of those gods who only shallowly saw his face and nothing else? Names that he _might_ end up cursing to nothingness—  
  
The other deity laughed to himself—out of embarrassment, Jinwoo wasn’t too sure.  
  
“Do forgive my manners,” the god said. “I am the god of fire and summer, Seunghoon,” he introduced himself. “You may say I am the god of the approaching season.”  
  
_A god of summer? An opposite of me, then,_ Jinwoo thought to himself.  
  
“I’m Jinwoo, a god of the underworld and of the winter,” Jinwoo told him.  
  
Seunghoon smiled, recognizing the name. “I’d somewhat guessed that you’d be a god of the underworld because of your clothes, but never would have I imagined meeting _you_ here.”  
  
“Me?” Jinwoo asked, although he had a feeling he knew what Seunghoon meant.  
  
“‘The beautiful god living in the cursed underworld,’” Seunghoon quoted, and Jinwoo rolled his eyes. Of _course_ , he’d be known with _that_ nickname.  
  
“You hate the nickname, huh?" Seunghoon asked, a wry smile on his lips.  
  
“You have no idea," Jinwoo muttered, staring at the gardens once more. “They only see the tip of the iceberg, never the whole chunk of it.”  
  
Seunghoon chuckled softly to himself. “Well, you really are beautiful. Do you not see it?”  
  
Jinwoo was sick of these words—that he was beautiful, he was ethereal, he was graceful and perfect—but somehow, hearing it from a god he barely knew . . .  
  
Jinwoo looked away, his pale cheeks flushing slightly. “Are you one of those gods, now?” he muttered.  
  
Seunghoon chortled—and Jinwoo liked that sound. Deep and musical— _alive_.  
  
“No, I am not,” Seunghoon uttered. “You are beautiful, yes—but at the same time, dangerous. Like, I don’t know—either you can be graceful like the falling snow, or be dangerous like a roaring avalanche.”  
  
Jinwoo couldn’t help laughing at Seunghoon’s sudden unease in his words. “You sound like somebody who does not appreciate winter much,” he remarked, tilting his head towards the other god.  
  
“I am the summer god—I hope that makes sense.”  
  
The light atmosphere between them was a breath of fresh air to Jinwoo—something he was learning to like. They were each other’s opposites, obviously, but there was something in Seunghoon’s presence that made Jinwoo feel . . . _warm_. It was not the kind of warmth that would make snow melt, but the kind of warmth Jinwoo would willingly burrow into and just stay there.  
  
For someone who preferred the cold . . . this was a new experience for him.  
  
_Is it always like this, to meet a god of the earth?_ Jinwoo wondered.  
  
“If you don’t mind, Jinwoo,” Seunghoon's voice broke his reverie, “I’d like you to meet my friends. Don’t worry; they're not as overwhelming as me.”  
  
“No, no, you're not overwhelming for me, and I don't mind,” Jinwoo quickly reassured him. “Are you sure about me meeting your friends, though?”  
  
“They wouldn’t mind, believe me. Mino’s going to be in shock about me meeting a god of the underworld though—he’d always been curious of that realm,” Seunghoon rolled his eyes, but his face glowed with mirth.  
  
For the first time in ages, Jinwoo felt his lips turn up to a genuine smile, happiness starting to bloom in his heart—a heart he’d once thought as something long gone.  
  
_A god of fire and summer—maybe it wasn’t too bad to meet an opposite in the middle of the boring lull_ , he mused.  
  
“Lead me to them, please,” he said, his smile never wavering. “They seem to be interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after finishing this i ended up doing a bit of a drabble over what seunghoon must've felt over jinwoo's smile LOL  
>   
> also, take note of the act numbers. i just don't put them randomly ;)


	4. act 00 - a sense of belonging

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! As I've mentioned in the other story, this one is interrelated with falling and blooming (aka Mino's side of the story). This chapter somewhat answers what happened during the Gathering, and the answers the gods seek.  
>   
> [Refer to this one for reference.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16667584/chapters/39226161) Thank you for reading! x

Jinwoo liked all of them immediately, despite his initial qualms regarding meeting Seunghoon’s companions. Unlike the rest of the gods, Mino and Seungyoon exuded a different kind of aura—sincere, warm and definitely . . . _alive_.  
  
Their initial reaction was pretty funny, though, considering that it was their first time to meet him up close.  
  
“Um—you know, I—I don’t know—but I mean no offense but—” the god named Mino stuttered, his face apologetic, “I seriously can’t believe you’re from the Underworld—you’re a god of the Underworld! If it weren’t for your, uh, glow and your tunic, I really wouldn’t believe it.”  
  
“I honestly think of the same thing,” Seungyoon agreed, his youthful face just as apologetic as Mino’s. “I know—or rather, I think—that comments like those may really offend you, but we’re just so shocked. Honestly, if it weren’t for Seunghoon-hyung’s explanations—and your obvious aura, of course—I would’ve thought you were one of us—a god of the earth.”  
  
Jinwoo chuckled, waving his hands slightly just to ease them. “No, no, it’s fine—I’m used to it already,” he reassured them. “Well, honestly comments like those do offend me at first, but not so much now.”  
  
Seungyoon and Mino both sighed in relief.  
  
From there Jinwoo learned from Seunghoon more about them—both Mino and Seungyoon were gods of the earth. Mino was known as a god of autumn, Seungyoon of spring (which Jinwoo pretty much guessed, considering the flower crown Seungyoon was wearing on his head). Seungyoon was the mastermind behind the fragrant scent of the flowers wafting in the air earlier, Mino was the friend Seunghoon meant who could paint sunsets.  
  
“But what’s with that flower crown, really?” Mino muttered, staring at the flower crown. “I get it, you’re of the spring and all, but a _flower crown_?”  
  
“A nymph child put it on my head when I passed by the threshold,” Seungyoon explained, pouting. “I can’t just put it down and ignore it—and admit it, it’s pretty!”  
  
“You’re too nice, Seungyoonie,” Seunghoon chuckled, ruffling the other god’s hair playfully. “Just ignore him; Mino’s just jealous because he can’t get a blue rose crown for himself.”  
  
“Hyung!”  
  
Jinwoo couldn’t help chuckling at the scene before him—they seemed like carefree boys without care in the world, not gods who have responsibilities.  
  
He sighed mentally to himself. _If only I could be as carefree as they are . . ._  
  
Suddenly, the commotion inside the Hall quieted down, and a parade of nymphs danced in the middle, creating an aisle. Behind them were several of the higher gods who stayed in the Celestrium—Taeyang and Seungri in front while the rest stayed close.  
  
They stopped in the middle of an aisle, and with his fingers Taeyang subtly drew a cloud to elevate them.  
  
“Welcome, our dear fellow deities!” Seungri’s voice echoed across the Hall, his smile wide. “It is such a pleasure and honor to be with you today, and we are very grateful for your presence.”  
  
“I understand that it is a pretty bad timing, but we’re thankful, nonetheless,” Taeyang added. “Anyway, we are here to call you not just for the gathering in itself, but to announce something important.”  
  
At the corner of his eye, Jinwoo saw Seungyoon tense slightly.  
  
“We have been . . . receiving reports regarding the presence of cursed beasts in the mortal realm,” Taeyang began. “In fact, there have been casualties reported, mortals and gods alike.”  
  
Worried whispers flew throughout the hall, and Taeyang’s voice silenced them immediately.  
  
“As such, selected gods have studied regarding the whole situation—yet, truthfully, our information is still quite lacking. We are yet to know of its origins and how it came to be, and how to ultimately stop the abomination.”  
“Could it be that of the Underworld’s doing?” one god exclaimed. “After all, those beasts are rumored to have a dark aura on them.”  
  
Jinwoo bristled. He knew that no one— _no one_ —in the Underworld will ever do such atrocity even towards humans. They respected human life especially in their death, despite the crimes that they commit.  
  
“There are no evidences supporting such accusation,” Taeyang countered quietly. “As per our findings, it comes from the realm where twisted gods stay—and anyway, any god who commits such deed will swiftly find judgment before they can blink.”  
  
He bit back a smile.  
  
“Ah, speaking of,” Taeyang said. “Representative of the Underworld, show yourself and speak your side.”  
  
Jinwoo gulped, as he is not so used to speaking in a large crowd. Probably sensing his anxiety, Taeyang smiled reassuringly at him, and he was suddenly at ease. Taking a deep breath, he slowly wove his way towards the center of the Hall.  
  
“Greetings, everyone, I am Jinwoo of the Underworld,” Jinwoo introduced himself after a beat of silence. “As Lord Taeyang have mentioned, we do not have a part regarding the cursed beasts rampaging in the human realm. Recently we have been receiving more souls from the victims of such beasts, and we, in our part, did our research—for the numbers are increasing alarmingly.”  
  
“And what have you found out, so far?” Seungri asked.  
  
Turning to him Jinwoo replied, “The spells used, as far as our investigations go, are those of the forbidden ones used in the ancient times. It is as if they recreate beings out of weaker ones, through a miasma created from combinations of a hundred spells.”  
  
“Um, may I ask—what kind of miasma is it?” Seungyoon asked, his eyes wide and curious.  
  
“A thick, black miasma with seemingly a life of its own—kind of like a parasite,” Jinwoo told him.  
  
“Like this?” Seungyoon handed him a glass bottle filled with miasma, covered with a silver cork. The crowd gasped, seeing it.  
  
“Where did you find this?” Jinwoo asked Seungyoon, his expression shocked and awed.  
  
“A cursed beast attacked Mino and I months before,” Seungyoon explained. “Thankfully, we survived it, and through a few old enchantments I was able to suck out the miasma. And you’re right, by the way—the miasma is seemingly a parasite. I sucked this out of the cursed beast, which was actually a thin, sick puppy.”  
  
Gasps and whispers flitted around, and Taeyang went down from the cloud to be with Jinwoo and Seungyoon.  
  
“And how is Mino now?” Taeyang asked.  
  
“I’m fine now,” Mino replied, walking forward with Seunghoon behind him. “Thanks to Seungyoon’s healing spells. But I’m not gonna lie—that beast is . . . terrifying. That beast actually bit me, and it felt like it was sucking my power out of me.”  
  
More whispers echoed around the hall, and a loud order from Seungri quieted the anxious crowd.  
  
Taeyang approached Mino and checked him for his wounds, while Jinwoo stared at him, his face tight.  
  
“Does that explain why . . .” he murmured out of nowhere, “ . . . the souls were . . . lifeless when they arrived to us?”  
  
Silence reverberated inside the Hall, and no god spoke.  
  
A few seconds later Jiyong went forward, and Seungri gave him the space. Taking a deep breath Jiyong said, “We will investigate the thing on hand. Meanwhile, you have heard everything, and the danger it brings to us. Right now, the only thing we can do is to be vigilant, and be aware of our surroundings. Prepare ourselves for the worst—yet hope for the best.”  
  
“Will this . . . can this come into a war again?” a god asked uncertainly.  
  
“Quite possibly, although I deeply wish it would not,” Jiyong answered, consternation on his face. “If there will be any more developments that need to be shared, I shall send Kyung as well as his associates to inform everyone.”  
  
“Gods of the earth, I believe you must stay for a long while in the mortal realm,” Jiyong ordered. “You will be the eyes and ears—relay all relevant information to us, whatever that may be.”  
  
“Understood,” all gods of the earth chorused.  
  
“Jinwoo, tell all your fellow gods in the Underworld to be vigilant as well,” Jiyong continued, his eyes on Jinwoo’s. And in the language of the Underworld he added, “If all else happens, you will know what to do.”  
  
Jinwoo understood those words, and he felt heavy inside. He was aware of how . . . difficult it was to be part of the Underworld, and the responsibility he held.  
  
He knew Jiyong meant no harm—the higher god was of the Underworld before, after all—but sometimes, he wished Jiyong taught him more of the things he really wanted to know.  
  
“Understood,” Jinwoo acquiesced.  
  
“For now, we’re done and all of you are free to leave,” Taeyang declared. “Jinwoo, Seungyoon, Mino, Seunghoon—come with Jiho and me.”


	5. act 00 - fire mingling with ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel so bad for not updating this . . . and i'll try my best to update mino's!!  
>   
>  ~~is this what i get for trying to finish a story i wished i never wrote LMAO~~

The four gods were silent as they left the Celestrium, walking slowly towards the portal back to the human realm. It had been an information overload for them—especially the responsibilities they had to bear. For one, Mino was the one assigned for detection, Seunghoon for any progression in the beast’s attacks, Seungyoon for healing and further studies, while Jinwoo will serve as the support for the three of them. The Underworld god’s knowledge in ancient dark spells will help, according to Jiyong, other than the info coming from the Underworld.  
  
Other than that, they will be basically the closest radar for the higher gods, given that Seungyoon and Jinwoo had connections with Taeyang and Jiyong, respectively. The other gods of the earth will also linger by the human realm, communicating any relevant information.  
  
Jinwoo led them out to a portal, which ended up in a small, but cozy living room. A small fire was crackling on the hearth, while dim lights illuminated the room.  
  
“Ah, sorry, it seems that I have led you to my bungalow,” Jinwoo said apologetically. “You can stay here, if you’d like.”  
  
“I’ll stay here and discuss things with you about the Underworld,” Seunghoon told him, sitting down on the rug-covered floor. “How about you guys?”  
  
“I think I’ll zone out here for a while, that was an overload for me,” Mino sighed, lying down on the floor. Meanwhile, Seungyoon sat beside Seunghoon, leaning his blond head against the summer god’s muscled arm. Seunghoon ruffled the spring god’s hair affectionately, an adoring smile on his lips. Jinwoo went towards the kitchen to prepare some refreshments for them.  
  
“Are you tired, Seungyoonie?” Seunghoon asked softly.  
  
“I want to sleep, hyung,” Seungyoon mumbled, pouting. “But I don’t want to miss your conversation with Jinwoo-ssi . . .”  
  
Seunghoon chuckled. “Sleep, Yoonie. We’ll relay everything to you the next day.”  
  
“Have some rest, Yoon,” Mino muttered sleepily. “You’ve had a long day.”  
  
Seungyoon only frowned (pouted) at him, but adjusted himself so he can sleep on the floor with his head on Seunghoon’s lap.  
  
“I’m curious, though,” Jinwoo said, setting down a porcelain teapot on the table, then the teacups. “Why does Seungyoon call you hyung, Seunghoon?”  
  
“It’s some sort of a seniority thing for him,” Seunghoon explained, absently smoothing Seungyoon’s hair. “He was one of the last gods to enter the Celestrium—and actually, he was twenty or something in human years. He’s basically a youth, so to speak, and Mino and I are a bit older than he is.”  
  
“Guess I’m also a hyung for him,” Jinwoo chuckled to himself. “I was quarter of a century when I entered the Celestrium, then the Underworld. After that, I couldn’t feel the passage of time anymore.”  
  
“It’s obvious in your looks, really,” Seunghoon teased, Jinwoo rolling his eyes as a reply.  
  
The younger gods (Mino and Seungyoon) were already fast asleep, Mino slightly snoring. Seungyoon’s hand seemed to reach towards Mino, his fingertips lightly touching the autumn god’s hair. This didn’t go unnoticed in Jinwoo’s eyes.  
  
“They’d been like that unconsciously, ever since,” Seunghoon said softly. “Sometimes, Mino looks for Seungyoon when he’s nervous, and Seungyoon looks for Mino when he’s very tired.”  
  
“Are they each other’s solace?”  
  
“Maybe, in a way. They tend to walk in different directions, but they cross paths and meet anyway.”  
  
The two gods were quiet, save for the sips Seunghoon was taking with his tea. Jinwoo fiddled with a thick book in his lap, his eyes downcast.  
  
“What do you wish to discuss, by the way?” Jinwoo asked quietly.  
  
“Mostly about the Underworld,” Seunghoon told him, his eyes on the winter god. “I do not know much about it, anyway. Maybe, if I could get a glimpse of your world, I’d know what to do regarding these beasts. Like what you’ve mentioned earlier, the spells used are similar to those you use sometimes—and I thought it would be a good idea if I’d get at least more than half of it.”  
  
“And what would you do with that?” Jinwoo tilted his head, curious. His eyes were now meeting Seunghoon’s intense ones—a decision Jinwoo was somewhat regretting.  
  
“Just in case they haven’t mentioned, I’m also a battle god,” Seunghoon smiled. “One of those gods in the frontlines, so to speak, along with Jiho—uh, Lord Jiho—and many others. Even Lord Jiyong’s one of the front liners.”  
  
“And Seungyoon and Mino?”  
  
“Seungyoon’s a very powerful god, but he prefers to be on the healing part of things. He’s a god of youth and spring—so that kind of makes sense. Meanwhile, Mino is a pacifist, and he really doesn’t like to fight in general.”  
  
“Hmm . . .” Jinwoo smiled to himself, a rueful smile on his lips. “And there’s me, I bring instant death to anyone, the end point to anyone who digresses from the laws of life and death . . . and I couldn’t return souls to the earth. It’s such an awful position and power, really.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
Jinwoo plucked several blooms from Seungyoon’s flower crown, and blew on it. In an instant, the flowers wilted and turned into cold ashes, dancing in the air.  
  
Seunghoon stared at Jinwoo with shocked, stunned eyes, and Jinwoo smiled at him bitterly. “Do you now understand what it means to be part of the Underworld?”  
  
“The reverse of Seungyoon’s abilities,” Seunghoon breathed. “He breathes life . . . you breathe death.”  
  
“Which is why I tend to be myself, not to be with those who only see the surface,” Jinwoo sighed. “I couldn’t trust my temper, really—I don’t want to curse anyone to nothingness. It’s depressing at some point, to be able to see beauty but be deprived of enjoying it for long. Being a witness of death for countless millennia . . . sometimes, although I appreciate the Underworld for I know I am destined there, I wish I could see life too.”  
  
Seunghoon reached for Jinwoo then, his warm hands grasping Jinwoo’s cold arms. “We’ll be with you, then. I’ll stay, if you’d like—I am of the summer, after all,” Seunghoon said, smiling. “I hope you wouldn’t mind the sun, snow god.”  
  
Jinwoo’s heart had not beat loud enough for his ears to hear, but right now, all he could hear and feel was his heart thudding crazily in his chest.  
  
Seunghoon was warm, _so warm_ , but it was not the warmth that could melt snow and end the winter air. It was the warmth he’d like to stay in, burrow further onto . . .  
  
“Then,” Jinwoo whispered, “prepare yourself should you enter my world. I hope you wouldn’t mind the cold, summer god.”  
  
Seunghoon smile turned teasing. “Ah, Jinwoo, the cold isn’t so bad sometimes.” His hands glided smoothly up Jinwoo’s shoulders, and Jinwoo resisted the urge to shiver. “But I’ll be honest, I am very dysfunctional in the snow.”  
  
“Too bad. I can survive in the summer heat,” Jinwoo muttered, and felt his cheeks burn as Seunghoon’s eyes sparkled at his words.  
  
“Good to know,” Seunghoon whispered, his voice turning husky.  
  
_There must be a reason why Seunghoon’s the god of fire_ , Jinwoo thought.


	6. act 02 - stormy blooms

“So apparently,” Seungyoon announced, plopping down on one of Jinwoo’s armchairs, “Mino’s gonna be on the sea for the time being.”  
  
“What?” Jinwoo asked in surprise. “I thought he went back to your apartment just last night.”  
  
“Yeah, he did,” Seungyoon muttered, his cheeks slightly flushed. “However, a messenger told him he must be there for a while—maybe to check on something important. I am only guessing it was that important, since he just bolted out without finishing his breakfast.”  
  
“You don’t feel bad about it, Seungyoonie?”  
  
“Well, no,” Seungyoon shrugged. “Why should I be? He has his obligations there as the god of the sea, so I don’t see any problem with it.”  
  
Seungyoon’s tone was casual and light, but Jinwoo could see the annoyance and worry in the spring god’s eyes. He suddenly remembered those moments Seungyoon just blanked out, out of nowhere, and mumbling to himself, wondering about Mino’s whereabouts.  
  
In truth, Jinwoo didn’t really come to Mino that day on the beach to ask about the miasma incidents. He went there to simply see Mino, know why he suddenly left Seungyoon alone . . . the memory of Mino’s surprised (and embarrassed) look when he mentioned about the paintings brought a smile to his lips.  
  
“So, you’ll stay here for a while, then?” Jinwoo asked.  
  
“If you don’t mind, hyung,” Seungyoon said, his eyes on a book. “The resources are easier to get here, anyway.”

  


From that day on, Seungyoon was as somber as a winter night—always quiet, never chatty, except on those times that he asked Seunghoon or Jinwoo.  
  
Other than that, he never stayed at the apartment, preferring to stay at Jinwoo’s bungalow.

  


Mino was gone for a long while, and Jinwoo and Seungyoon rarely heard from him. From time to time, Seunghoon would check on them (his complaints about the snow never ending), and even teach them some battle tricks just in case.  
  
It was then, around mid-February, that Seunghoon learned from Jiho that Mino had to deal with the sea deities regarding the miasma incidents through discussions and meetings. Kyung was with him, thankfully, with Taeyang going along with him.  
  
“Wasn’t an easy task, as far as what Lord Jiho says,” Seunghoon muttered over a cup of tea. “Apparently the gods there weren’t convinced of the whole thing; thankfully Lord Taeyang was there to placate everyone.”  
  
“That, or they’re shaky about it because of our involvement,” Jinwoo rolled his eyes. “Honestly, their prejudice against us Underworld residents is impressive.”  
  
“When will he come back?” Seungyoon asked out of nowhere while arranging the flowers on a vase.  
  
“No idea, Yoonie,” Seunghoon told him. “Not even Lord Jiho knows when.”  
  
Seungyoon merely nodded to himself.  
  
“He’ll come back, don’t worry,” Seunghoon reassured him, ruffling his hair. “He knows better than to worry you, hm?”  
  
Seungyoon just nodded again, his eyes on the flowers.

  


A week later, Jinwoo spotted Seungyoon outside the bungalow from his bedroom window. The spring god just stood there, in the middle of the street, still in a large tee and loose sweatpants he’d worn to sleep. His eyes were closed, his face up to the sky, as if feeling the early morning air.  
  
Checking the calendar, Jinwoo realized that it was the first day of spring—Seungyoon’s season. The snow will start to melt soon, and the earth will bloom once more.  
  
As if summoned, tiny birds flew towards Seungyoon, several of which perched on his shoulders and on the top of his head. Jinwoo let out a chuckle—this was so similar to all those fairytale scenarios wherein birds would fly near to princesses or fairies.  
  
Except that it was for real—with a bonus of Seungyoon fluttering his fingers which caused several flowers to spring forth on the sidewalk.  
  
Even the peach trees nearby bloomed, the sweet scent permeating in the cold air.  
  
Jinwoo smiled to himself as he watched Seungyoon feed the birds.  
  
The spring god has awoken from his winter slumber.

  


“For real, we’ll have to wait for him here?!” Seunghoon complained as they walked towards the shores of Haeundae. “He’s just so _dramatic_ , for crying out loud!”  
  
“We’ll meet Lord Jiho here as well, anyway,” Jinwoo muttered. “Besides, it’s not as if we can say no to a higher god.”  
  
Seungyoon was quiet the whole time, just watching the older gods bicker. However, both Seunghoon and Jinwoo could feel the excitement from the younger god—as evidenced by the randomly blossoming buds by the seaside.  
  
When they reached the seashore, Seungyoon stood nearest to the beach, his feet being caressed and tickled by the sea foam. Seunghoon and Jinwoo stood behind him, watching out for trouble just in case. Seungyoon’s eyes were closed, as if concentrating.  
  
When the sun finally rose from the horizon, Jinwoo and Seunghoon witnessed one of the most magical—and mystifying—sights of Seungyoon’s spring magic.  
  
A glimmering shade of blue crept up on Seungyoon’s loose white tunic, like the sparkling sea as the sunlight kissed the waters. His hair turned into a powdery cerulean hue, like spring’s morning skies. The leafy crown on his head bloomed with the most beautiful of spring flowers and . . . Jinwoo wasn’t sure, but he saw a few autumn blooms amongst the flowers and leaves.  
  
But what caught his attention were Mino’s favorite flowers on the crown, large blue roses.  
  
Jinwoo was definitely sure that blue roses were _artificially_ made, so he was in awe as he gaped at the flower crown in Seungyoon’s head.  
  
“Seungyoonie, you . . .” Seunghoon started, his eyes wide, but was cut off when they heard a loud roar from the sea.  
  
A large, golden chariot rose from the sea, embellished with mother-of-pearls and carried by four large sea creatures. The sea creatures pulled the chariot towards the shallow part of the sea, and the two passengers inside descended and walked towards the waiting gods.  
  
It was the sea god, Mino, and a higher god, Jiho.  
  
The three gods who waited for him bowed, even Seungyoon, who still had his eyes closed.  
  
“A pleasure to meet you again,” Jiho smiled, bowing at them.  
  
“Uh, hello,” Mino greeted them awkwardly, bowing as well. “I’m sorry I was gone for a long time.”  
  
“At least you must have left us a note, Mino,” Seunghoon muttered.  
  
“I am glad you are safe,” Jinwoo told them.  
  
Seungyoon finally opened his eyes, and greeted them warmly. “I am thankful that you have returned safely,” he said, his voice calm. “I believe there is news to catch up on, correct?”  
  
“You are right, Yoonie,” Jiho said. “But before that . . . it really is _your_ season, huh.”  
  
“Why? Is something amiss?” Seungyoon tilted his head, confused. Meanwhile, Mino just stared in silence at the sight of Seungyoon—and at his flower crown.  
  
“Little brother, at least look at your crown,” Jiho said with a smile, and Seungyoon gently held his crown and looked at it himself.  
  
“Such meaningful flowers we have there,” Jiho teased him lightly. “Not to mention, why is your hair blue?”  
  
Seungyoon glared at him, annoyed, and put back the crown on his head. “It’s nothing, hyung.”  
  
“I’m just saying, Yoonie. Also, aren’t blue roses artificially made?”  
  
“I _am_ a spring god, Jiho-hyung. I can make any flower bloom should I wish to.”  
  
The playful grin never left Jiho’s face. “If you say so, my cute little brother.”  
  
Seungyoon made a face at him.  
  
“Shall we leave for Celestrium, then?” Seunghoon suggested. “We’ll talk about everything that happened there.”  
  
“It’s a good suggestion,” Jiho agreed. “Seungyoon, could you do us the honor?”  
  
With a flutter of his fingers Seungyoon opened up a portal to Celestrium, and the gods went inside. 

  


Upon reaching the gods’ realm, Jiho immediately went to the higher gods’ Hall to report. Meanwhile, the four remaining gods stayed by a waiting room.  
  
Mino was sneakily trying to steal blue roses from Seungyoon’s crown—but of course, Seungyoon sensed it.  
  
With a snap of his fingers, vines suddenly wrapped themselves around Mino’s arms, making him unable to move. A second later, lobelia flowers sprung forth from the thorny vines.  
  
“Aish, Yoonie!” Mino complained, struggling from the vines. “What are these for?! Let me go!”  
  
“Not until you explain to me,” Seungyoon hissed angrily at Mino. “Why you never kept your promise—and for trying to ruin my flower crown.”  
  
“What promise?”  
  
Seungyoon’s expression darkened, and the vines grew thicker and more flowers bloomed on them. “Didn’t you say,” he said slowly, “that you _will_ not do _it_ again next time, Mino?”  
  
Mino paled, his face an expression of horrified realization and pure fear.  
  
“Uh oh,” Seunghoon moved away from them. “Looks like someone is in trouble . . .”  
  
“Seungyoon’s scary when he’s mad,” Jinwoo noted.  
  
“This isn’t even half of it, Jinwoo . . .”  
  
“But, if Seungyoon’s this mad at Mino,” Jinwoo mused, “why are there crocuses, lilies of the valley . . . even balloon flowers _and_ blue roses still on his head?”  
  
“It’s because the flowers on his head,” Jiho murmured softly from behind them, “or whatever Seungyoon looks like, for that matter, reflect what he really feels deep inside. So despite the anger . . . the flowers will always betray him. Thank goodness Mino knows nothing about the language of flowers—except for blue roses, maybe.”  
  
“How do you know all that, Lord Jiho?” Jinwoo asked.  
  
Jiho smiled at him. “Well, he’s my little brother, after all. It’s just one of the many characteristics I share with him—it’s not flowers for me, though, but the emotional climate of an area where I’m in.”  
  
“Oh . . .”  
  
“So those flower crowns aren’t just ornaments on his head. It’s a reflection of his thoughts or feelings that he can never articulate,” Jiho concluded.  
  
“Hold up a second,” Seunghoon whispered. “I only know that of the blue roses—what on earth do the other flowers mean then?”  
  
Jiho peered at the two gods, who were still bickering, and whispered back conspiratorially, “Crocus means youthful gladness or cheerfulness, lilies of the valley mean return of happiness or sweetness . . . while balloon flowers signify that a return of a friend is desired.”  
  
“Balloon flowers can mean . . . something else, correct?” Jinwoo thought out loud.  
  
“That’s true. But let’s take that aside for now—when will they stop arguing? And what promise does my little brother mean?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, I used the language of the flowers! But the language is based from the Japanese interpretation by the way, to clarify.  
>   
> However, the language of the flowers is not absolute, so do take it lightly. ^^;  
> 


	7. act 03 - the lord of the underworld

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back (sort of)!!

“I’ll have to go to the Underworld for a bit,” Jinwoo told Seunghoon, when the latter dropped by unannounced at his bungalow. “But I’ll be back here for tomorrow, don’t worry.”  
  
Seunghoon made a face. “Aw, just great. You’ll leave me alone, sneezing in the spring air?” he whined.  
  
Jinwoo rolled his eyes. “You have Seungyoon and Mino with you…?”  
  
“Jinwoo, just in case you haven’t been sensitive lately, they’re having a city date,” Seunghoon muttered, frowning. “I mean, sure, I’m happy that they’re finally, _finally_ , together after so many years—wait, I think decades?—of just having staring-at-the-other-when-he-isn’t-looking moments and all those implied actions. But . . . you’ll leave me here? _Alone?_ ”  
  
Jinwoo blinked at the sudden information. “So those two were, uh . . . in love with each other or something for a long time?”  
  
“Not exactly in love—I’d say soulmates, maybe. They were really never that expressive about it, kind of like letting-the-chips-fall-where-they-may-be kind of thing. But let’s go back to the original discussion—why are you leaving?”  
  
“I’ve been missing out a lot of my job, Seunghoon,” Jinwoo sighed. “I need to go back and settle it all myself—I bet they’ve been piling up already.”  
  
“Can’t you just ask someone to finish them for you?”  
  
“Very tempting, but no. This is something that only _I_ can do.”  
  
Seunghoon pursed his lips, as if considering something. Jinwoo was halfway drawing the portal when Seunghoon declared, “I’ll come with you.”  
  
Jinwoo paused, his hand in the air. “What.”  
  
“I’ll come with you,” Seunghoon shrugged. “To the Underworld.”  
  
Jinwoo raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Excuse me?”  
  
“I’ll come with you,” the summer god repeated. “Just in case you haven’t remembered, I once told you that I’ll have to come to that realm to study more about the miasma. You know, for battle tactics purposes.”  
  
“Ah, right,” Jinwoo hit his forehead with his palm. “But are you sure, though? I mean—okay, you’re free to go there, but you hate the cold.”  
  
“I’ll manage.”  
  
Jinwoo sighed, shaking his head to himself. “All right, fine. But I have one rule that you must abide, god of the earth.”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
With a grave look, Jinwoo said, “Follow everything that I say. Do not touch what you should not touch, do not keep what you should not keep.”  
  
“That’s two rules . . .”  
  
“Just do them, okay?” Jinwoo had already finished drawing the portal. “All right, stay close to me and never stray.”  
  
Seunghoon stepped in, smiling at Jinwoo. “Yes, sir.”

  


In contrast to Seunghoon’s expectations, the Underworld wasn’t really a creepy or murky place. In fact, Seunghoon could say it was magical in itself—in a dark, mysterious way.  
To enter the Underworld, one must enter a portal drawn by an Underworld deity. The portal will lead to a riverside where the boats are. Each boat has its own ferryman, who would row the boat towards anywhere the passenger/s wanted to.  
  
The river was pretty long, its waters seemingly deep, like an abyss. It was surrounded by large forests of trees, which, according to Jinwoo, housed the Underworld deities who roamed around the realm.  
  
The realm was blanketed with a purplish night sky with two moons—and no stars. It was an eternal night inside the Underworld—with a temperature comparable to that of late autumn’s or early winter’s.  
  
Upon reaching a riverbank, Jinwoo moored the boat to a nearby dock. The two went off the boat, and Seunghoon could only stare at the grandiose castle in front of him. The structure was surrounded with tall huge trees, making it even more mysterious and haunting.  
  
Jinwoo smiled, seeing Seunghoon’s expression. “Liking what you see?”  
  
“I never thought this is how the Underworld looks like,” Seunghoon told him. “You know, kinda like in a fairy tale setting where there’s a castle and stuff like that—”  
  
“And where the villains live?”  
  
The summer god made a face. “More like a place where the vesper forever blankets your world.”  
  
Jinwoo chuckled. “Ah yes, I agree. Shall we come in, our guest?”  
  
“As you wish.”  
  
-  
  
At a soft command uttered by Jinwoo, the large doors opened, and the two gods entered the castle. The attendants, who were lined up, bowed in courtesy as the gods stepped in.  
  
Inside, the receiving hall was illuminated with torches and ghost fire floating all over the place.  
  
“Master,” the attendants uttered in chorus. “We welcome you back.”  
  
“Thank you,” Jinwoo said. “For today, we shall have a guest—a god of the earth, Seunghoon. He will be here to study our realm, in connection to the current crisis we are facing today. I do wish you give him our warmest hospitality.”  
  
“Understood.”  
  
One of the attendants stepped out of the line and glided towards Jinwoo. It was then Seunghoon noticed that all of them wore a dark veil, covering their faces, and loose dark tunic. This one, however, clearly held a higher position among the attendants, as evidenced by some sort of a brooch pinned by its chest.  
  
“Seunghoon,” Jinwoo addressed. “Nycto will guide you to your temporary chambers. Don’t worry, I’ll join you later on as soon as I finish everything.”  
  
Seunghoon just nodded, and the attendant named Nycto bowed to him.  
  
Shifting to the ancient language of the Underworld, Jinwoo muttered below his breath, “He is a dear friend, Nycto. Do take care of him while I am not around.”  
  
“I understand, Master,” it replied in the same language.  
  
Turning to Seunghoon it told him, “Lord Seunghoon, I will help you to your room.”  
  
“Thank you,” Seunghoon said.  
  
With a reassuring, firm smile Jinwoo parted with Seunghoon, and proceeded to the Master’s Hall.  
  
-  
  
Of course, as Jinwoo had predicted, he had a mountain of work to be accomplished. Souls to judge and discern, reports from the Underworld’s deities about the recent events that happened in his absence, and correspondences about the miasma research…  
  
Jinwoo groaned in his seat, staring wearily at the piled parchment. While he managed to finish half, he still had to settle his prioritized work, and set aside others…  
  
A knock on the door shook him from his tired daze, and he asked, “Who is it?”  
  
The door opened, revealing his most favorite person—the woman whom he adored as his older sister.  
  
“Dara-noona!” Jinwoo beamed at the smiling goddess, who held a tray with tea and cookies. He stood up, taking the tray from her and placing it on his table, and embraced her warmly.  
  
“Ah, Jinwoo,” the goddess laughed, hugging him back. “I missed you here. Glad that you’re back.”  
  
“Well, only for the time being,” Jinwoo said apologetically. “I have to settle some business here before I go back.”  
  
Dara pulled away, frowning. “You will leave too soon?”  
  
The sad tone in her voice almost made Jinwoo change his mind, but he remembered that he had to return for the conference—and his guest.  
  
“I’ll probably come back here in the fall or early winter, noona,” he reassured her. “Why not take a seat? Your tea is better when it’s warm.”  
  
The two sat down, with her across from him and Jinwoo back on his own seat. “How are things going?” she asked.  
  
“Really busy,” Jinwoo sighed. “The whole miasma issue is sort of stressing out everyone, especially the higher gods. So far, the cases are getting less, but Lord Taeyang and Lord Jiyong are still taking precautions, just in case.”  
  
“Even the deities here are worried, too,” she shared. “Thankfully, almost all gods outside of this realm now realize we’re not the culprits—but the twisted deities.”  
  
Jinwoo’s heart lightened at that. He really had to thank Lord Jiho and Mino for their effort.  
  
“Ah, yes,” Dara suddenly blurted out, and put down her cup. “I hear you have a guest?”  
  
“Oh, yes,” Jinwoo smiled. “The god of fire and summer, Seunghoon. He’s currently resting in his room.”  
  
“Seunghoon? One of Seungri’s former students?” she asked, tilting his head slightly, her eyebrows creased.  
  
“You know him, noona?”  
  
“Well, not really. But you did mention he is of the summer, so I assume he might be one of them…”  
  
“I never asked him, noona,” he said, smiling wryly. “Maybe I should ask him?”  
  
“Would he mind?”  
  
“I don’t think so,” Jinwoo reassured her. “He’s easy to talk with, anyway.”  
  
Dara’s eyes sparkled with realization. “You seem to be close with him,” she observed. “Are you?”  
  
“W-well, not really,” he said, his tone sounding unsure. “I met him almost a year ago in the Great Hall, during a gathering.”  
  
Her eyes brightened even more. “Did you make friends while you were there?”  
  
A smile crept up on Jinwoo’s face as he remembered Seungyoon’s and Mino’s faces. “Well, yes. Two gods of the earth—Seungyoon and Mino,” he told her. “They’re Seunghoon’s friends, too.”  
  
“Seungyoon and Mino!” Dara exclaimed, clapping her hands. “Taeyang’s and Seunghyun’s respective students—how wonderful!” With a grin she added, “They seem to be very nice to you, by the way you speak.”  
  
“They are,” he agreed happily, unable to help himself. “Seungyoon usually takes care of my plants and even lets flowers bloom in my bungalow. Mino plays with my cats when he drops by, and he’s a good painter. As for Seunghoon, although he hates the cold, he’s very playful and humorous. Sometimes he even cooks when he feels like it.  
  
“And oh, it was through Seungyoon I learned more about the miasma and easing the effects brought by it,” Jinwoo continued. “He’s really a genius. He and Mino were attacked once before, and Seungyoon was able to acquire a specimen. Not to mention, Seunghoon, despite his somewhat mischievous countenance, is very serious towards battle strategies—he’s almost at par with Lord Jiho now or even Lord Seungri for me.”  
  
The happy, delighted smile on his noona’s face suddenly stopped him short. It was then he’d realized that he spoke too much, and he blushed in embarrassment.  
  
“Sorry,” Jinwoo mumbled. “They’re really nice people, and I do really like them.”  
  
She reached out to pat his head affectionately, still smiling. “I’m just happy you have friends now.”  
  
“Me too,” Jinwoo agreed quietly, smiling.  
  
Dara stood up and on Jinwoo’s confused look she said, “You must not keep your guest waiting, Jinwoo. Shall we go see him?”  
  
“Oh, right,” Jinwoo rose up from his seat and walked towards her. “Let’s go.”  
  
-  
  
Nycto was outside Seunghoon’s room when Jinwoo and Dara arrived. Seeing them, the attendant bowed and said, “Master, Lady, Lord Seunghoon is inside and reading some books he asked from me. He wished to be alone as he studied, which is why I am outside.”  
  
“I see,” Jinwoo nodded. “You may leave now, Nycto. Thank you.”  
  
Bowing once more, Nycto took its leave. Jinwoo knocked on the door and called, “Seunghoon? It’s me, Jinwoo. Can we come in?”  
  
“Sure,” he heard Seunghoon say, and Jinwoo pushed the door open, walking in.  
  
Inside, Seunghoon was sitting on a leather chair, a book in his lap. Stacks of thick books were all over his desk, with some books open. For some reason, Jinwoo’s mouth felt dry as he stared at Seunghoon’s handsome face in the glow of fire lamps. In his loose, dark silk sleeveless tunic which revealed his muscular arms and long, toned legs, the god of summer looked powerful and…seductive.  
  
_Maybe he shouldn’t have asked Nycto to make him wear that…_  
  
Seunghoon turned his face towards the door, and he quickly stood up, recognizing him. Barefoot, he approached him and smiled.  
  
“Jinwoo,” he murmured. “Do forgive my manners. I got too immersed with the books.”  
  
“I-it’s okay,” Jinwoo reassured him, shaking off the image of Seunghoon earlier. “If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry. Did I disturb you?”  
  
“Not really,” Seunghoon’s smile widened a little. “If anything, I appreciate the interruption.”  
  
The mischievous twinkle in the summer god’s eyes almost made Jinwoo lose it, if not for the mental reminder of his companion. “Oh right, there’s someone who wants to meet you too. Is that okay?”  
  
Seunghoon nodded. “Of course.”  
  
“Noona?” Jinwoo called, and he heard Seunghoon’s sharp intake of breath as Dara walked in.  
  
Not that Jinwoo blamed him, though.  
  
He’d met many beautiful women in his whole existence, but none ever held a candle to Dara’s delicate beauty. With soft, endearing dark eyes, rosy cheeks and pale face with proportionate, ethereal features, Dara is considered as the loveliest deity among all deities.  
  
Seunghoon knelt on one knee and took Dara’s hand, kissing it softly. “Lady Sandara,” he murmured, his tone reverent. “It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you.”  
  
Dara smiled at him, pleased. “Thank you. You are Seunghoon, correct?”  
  
Seunghoon nodded. “Yes, my Lady. The god of summer and of fire.”  
  
“By any chance, are you a student of Seungri?” she asked.  
  
“Yes, my Lady. I was also a student of Lord Jiyong,” he replied.  
  
“Ah, stand up, Seunghoon,” Dara said. “It must be uncomfortable to kneel there.”  
  
Seunghoon rose up and smiled at Dara. “Not at all, my Lady. You deserve all the respect, after all.”  
  
Dara laughed, shaking her head. “You really are a student of Seungri, all right.”  
  
Seunghoon grinned. “Shall we sit down?”  
  
The deities sat by the desk, with Jinwoo beside Seunghoon and Dara across from them.  
  
“Um, so what were you studying earlier?” Jinwoo asked. “Before we interrupted, that is.”  
  
“I was studying your language and a bit of your history,” Seunghoon told him. “I remembered that Seungyoon’s spell against the miasma somewhat sounded like your language, then I traced the story behind it. It’s pretty confusing, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.”  
  
“Jinwoo told me that you are also a battle god,” Dara mentioned. “Is there anything you found out so far?”  
  
“The miasma really is based from the ancient Underworld spells of reviving the dead,” Seunghoon said. “As for the battle tricks, I am not sure on how to deal with them without causing much collateral damage. The only way so far was to use spells Seungyoon devised to suck out the miasma out of the host.”  
  
“Has Jiyong or Seunghyun tried to draft out more?”  
  
“They did, my Lady. However, as much as possible, they want to create battle plans that will not wreak more havoc, so as to prevent human detection.”  
  
“How about the mastermind? Do they know who it is?” Jinwoo asked.  
  
Seunghoon shook his head. “No, and it’s driving them insane. Yes, it is the twisted deities’ masterpiece, but which deity and the specific purpose of doing so, we have no idea yet,” he sighed, his tone frustrated.  
  
“Could it be like…what happened ages ago?” Dara murmured in worry.  
  
“They are considering that possibility, my Lady,” Seunghoon said. “But right now, the higher gods are more focused on minimizing detection and damage.”  
  
“I see,” Dara uttered. “There really is a need for the Underworld to step in, after all.”  
  
“Lord Jiyong wishes that the Underworld not get too much involved, though,” the summer god said wryly. “He does not disclose why, but I have an idea,” he gave Jinwoo a sideways glance, smirking slightly.  
  
Jinwoo smiled awkwardly, and Dara giggled.  
  
Dara sighed, and smiled at the younger deities. “Anyway, I am glad you are friends with Jinwoo. I’d been very worried he would always be alone, but I believe there’s no need for me to be worried.”  
  
“He is a good friend,” Seunghoon acquiesced.  
  
“Please keep him company while he’s with you,” Dara said, her voice soft and gentle. “He’s very…bright when he’s with you.”  
  
_Am I?_ Jinwoo thought to himself.  
  
“Yes, we will,” Seunghoon nodded. “We’ll do our best.”  
  
Dara then stood up, then the younger gods followed suit. “It’s almost late now,” Dara said. “Jinwoo, you told me you have business to deal with tomorrow, right?”  
  
“Oh, yeah. What time is it, noona?”  
  
Dara fished out a magical sandglass from the pocket of her dress and glanced at it. “I believe it is almost midnight back in the mortal realm now…”  
  
“Huh? But we got here hours ago…” Seunghoon was confused.  
  
Jinwoo hit his forehead with his palm. “Ugh, I forgot. The flow of time here passes slowly, in comparison to the mortal realm—or even in Celestrium. Three hours here is almost seven hours in the mortal realm,” he explained.  
  
“What?!” Seunghoon exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”  
  
“I forgot, okay?” Jinwoo muttered, embarrassed.  
  
“You need to go back soon,” Dara told them. “But sailing through the river won’t do, as you need to rest.”  
  
Stepping away from them, Dara raised her arms and fluttered her fingers, creating a special gate. “This will transport you back to the place where you came from,” she told them. “So there’s no need for you to ride the boat.”  
  
“Thank you,” Jinwoo breathed, while Seunghoon stared at the gate in awe. “I owe you one, noona.”  
  
“Just come back and visit soon,” Dara said. “And oh, Seunghoon? Please send my warmest regards to Seungyoon for me.”  
  
Seunghoon blinked, and nodded in understanding. “Yes, my Lady.”  
  
With a final wave and a goodbye, Jinwoo and Seunghoon entered the gate, then proceeded to go back to Jinwoo’s bungalow.  
  
-  
  
“I never had the chance to even roam around, Jinwoo,” Seunghoon complained, frowning as he lay down on the couch.  
  
“I’m really sorry, okay?” Jinwoo sighed. “Besides, I told you I’ll be catching up on my work back there, right? I didn’t notice the passage of time…”  
  
One of Jinwoo’s cats, Rei, leaped up to Seunghoon’s chest and curled up there. Meanwhile, the other cat, Bei, rubbed against Jinwoo’s leg, and Jinwoo picked him up and cuddled him.  
  
“Lady Sandara really is so…gloriously beautiful,” Seunghoon murmured, closing his eyes. “I’d heard stories of her beauty, but seeing her up close…she really was not the Lady of the Spring for nothing.”  
  
“She was Seungyoon’s predecessor, right?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Seunghoon’s eyes opened slightly, then smiled at Jinwoo. “Nothing still comes close to you, though.”  
  
Jinwoo scowled at him, despite the loud hammering in his chest. “Liar.”  
  
Seunghoon laughed. “Just saying what I see.”  
  
The image of Seunghoon in his dark tunic invaded Jinwoo’s thoughts once more, and he felt his cheeks flame.  
  
Suddenly, Seunghoon rose up, startling Rei, and stood up on his feet. “I gotta go,” he told Jinwoo. “I’ll sleep at my place for now.”  
  
_Stay here_ , Jinwoo almost said. _With me._  
  
The summer god’s fingers danced across Jinwoo’s cheeks, which blushed more at his touch. At that, the summer god crooned in his ear, “You owe me some time alone with you, Master of the Underworld.”  
  
With a whoosh of the wind and a flash of bright light Seunghoon disappeared, leaving a flustered and breathless Jinwoo.  
  
He clutched his chest, trying to calm his frenzied heartbeat. He did not want to close his eyes, fearing he’ll see that seductive image of Seunghoon in his study in his head.  
  
_What are you doing to me,_ he whispered in the air. _And what exactly do you want from me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, just felt like sharing what the Underworld looks like hehe. And hmm, what is Dara doing in the Underworld . . .


	8. beyond the curtains - seunghoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the moment jinwoo—a god the underworld and of winter—smiled at him in that balcony, back when he first met him in that gathering, he felt as if he was blinded by the sun.  
>   
> no, forget it—he was blinded. totally.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just basically Seunghoon's POV of the preceding chapter. I don't honestly know why I wrote this one out of nowhere, I confess, but I guess I just want to let you in his thoughts.  
>   
> Which is considerably bold of me. LMAO

As soon as Jinwoo dismissed him, he followed the attendant, Nycto, towards the room where he’s supposed to stay. He figured he probably wouldn’t see Jinwoo for the rest of the day, so he might as well research about the Underworld.

He didn’t notice that they’d already arrived at the room, in front of large doors that were a bit taller than Seunghoon’s. With a soft command from Nycto, the doors creaked open, revealing a dark room fully furnished with a large bed, wide study desks, and leather chairs. The floor was covered with a thick, wool rug, and the walls were draped with tapestries.

At the corner of his eye, he noticed the candelabras on top of the study desk, and fire lamps attached to the posts.

“Shall I light the lamps for you, Lord Seunghoon?” Nycto asked politely.

“No need, Nycto,” Seunghoon replied, aware of the effect of Underworld flames on him. “But can I light them myself?”

“You may, of course.”

Entering inside, Seunghoon snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the candelabras and fire lamps were alight with orange-yellow flames. Beside him, Nycto grabbed something from a cabinet and handed it to him.

“Do forgive me, but this is a must to those who visit the Underworld,” Nycto explained, seeing Seunghoon’s mystified expression. “This is a tunic that must be worn by non-Underworld residents if they were to stay here for a while. This is meant to shield you and your essence from the Underworld environment, as well as to protect you from Underworld shadows who may harm you.”

“I see,” Seunghoon murmured. “Thank you, Nycto.”

“Is there something you’d like, my Lord?”

Seunghoon thought for a moment. “Would it be all right if I borrow books about this realm? They would be very helpful for me to know and understand more. If it’s okay, that is.”

“As you wish,” Nycto bowed. “Anything else?”

“Nothing more,” Seunghoon smiled. “Thank you.”

At once, Nycto glided away from the room, leaving him alone. He then quickly stripped off his clothes (it was then he’d realized he was wearing human clothes, how reckless) and wore the tunic Nycto gave him. It was a loose, smooth silk sleeveless tunic that oddly fit him. He felt the magic inherent in that tunic—it was as if it covered him, even his bare skin, from anything that may harm him.

For some reason, he found himself imagining Jinwoo in this clothes, walking around the castle.

Intriguing. Ethereal, intriguing… _stirring_. 

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

-

A moment later, Nycto came back to his room, the books in its arms. He found it fascinating that while the attendant seemed as light as air, carrying thick books was an easy task for it.

After saying his thanks and telling it courteously that he wanted to be alone, Nycto left and Seunghoon set down the books.

As he opened the books and skimmed the pages, he found the information interesting. He was thankful he’d sat with Seungyoon when the latter studied the Underworld language, so he was able to understand the text. 

It took him a few passages and illustrations, and he was immersed deeply in the subject. Especially on the war tactics used by the ancient Underworld residents during the war.

He might be known as a battle god, a deity in the frontlines when skirmishes arise, but nothing captured his interests more than history and strategies.

-

Seunghoon slumped his head on the desk, groaning quietly. He’d read too much, absorbed too much, his brain practically stopped functioning.

_Seungyoon wasn’t joking when he complained that the Underworld language was so difficult to understand…more difficult that ancient Latin._

He sighed, closing his eyes. Food would help him ease down, but he doubted whether the food in the Underworld would be edible for him. Or maybe a sip of a drink.

Or someone to talk to.

Jinwoo’s laughing face flashed in his mind, and he sighed once more. As much as he’d liked being by himself in order to focus, it might’ve been better if Jinwoo was around.

Then again, he might not be able to focus at all, and would just end up staring at his face. Or saying words that were better left unsaid.

Just as when he was about to daydream about teasing Jinwoo again, he’d heard voices from the outside.

“Master, Lady, Lord Seunghoon is inside and reading some books he asked from me. He wished to be alone as he studied, which is why I am outside,” he heard Nycto say.

“I see. You may leave now, Nycto. Thank you.”

_Speak of the devil and the devil shall be summoned._

At the sound of Jinwoo’s voice, he immediately straightened and pretended to read a book (that he’d reread for so many times already).

With several knocks Jinwoo called, “Seunghoon? It’s me, Jinwoo. Can we come in?”

_We?_

“Sure,” Seunghoon replied nonchalantly, and he heard the door open.

At the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Jinwoo wearing dark, resplendent robes over his tunic, the hem almost touching the floor. The designs embroidered on the robe were intricate, several of which were similar to all the symbols Seunghoon had seen on the books he’d read. In the glow of the firelamps Jinwoo had never looked so…hauntingly ethereal, beautiful yet deadly.

Like the Lord of the Underworld that he is.

Turning to fully look at him, he stood up and sauntered towards him, smiling.

“Jinwoo,” he murmured. “Do forgive my manners. I got immersed with the books.”

“I-it’s okay,” Jinwoo told him, his doe eyes a little wider as he looked at him. “If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry. Did I disturb you?”

“Not really,” Seunghoon grinned. “If anything, I appreciate the interruption,” he added playfully.

For a second Jinwoo looked…lost, as if a thought occurred to him, before he shook his head slightly and said, “Oh right, there’s someone who wants to meet you too. Is that okay?” 

Seunghoon nodded. “Of course.”

“Noona?” Jinwoo called from outside.

Seunghoon’s breath hitched in his throat as she walked in.

He’d heard numerous stories, thousands of claims, and even millions of verses that sang of her beauty, but no words nor paintings could ever give justice to the loveliness Sandara possessed, or her elegance. Dressed in a long, dark purple dress with lilies, cornflowers, and asphodel blooms in her hair, she was the most alluring goddess Seunghoon had ever seen.

_No wonder, not even the former Lord of the Underworld, the coldest deity of them all…_

He knelt on one knee and humbly kissed her hand. “Lady Sandara,” he murmured reverently. “It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you.”

Dara smiled at him. “Thank you. You are Seunghoon, correct?”

_Jinwoo must’ve introduced me, it seems._

He nodded. “Yes, my Lady. The god of summer and of fire.”

“By any chance, are you a student of Seungri?”

“Yes, my Lady. I was also a student of Lord Jiyong.”

“Ah, stand up, Seunghoon,” Dara said. “It must be uncomfortable to kneel there.”

Seunghoon rose up, smiling at the goddess. “Not at all, my Lady. You deserve all the respect, after all.”

Dara laughed, shaking her head. “You really are a student of Seungri, all right.”

Seunghoon grinned in understanding. “Shall we sit down?”

The deities sat by the desk, along with the messy books, and it was a deep discussion of future plans regarding the miasma case.

At the back of his mind, Seunghoon wondered that despite the exquisite goddess practically sat in front of him, he was more riveted towards Jinwoo’s presence beside him. Maybe because she possessed an aura that of a queen’s, or he was just more comfortable with him.

Or he just found him strangely more attractive.

-

Back in the bungalow, he sprawled on Jinwoo’s couch, complaining about not even being able to roam around the realm. 

He felt Rei land in his chest, curling up, and closed his eyes. The image of Jinwoo acting as the Lord of the Underworld still fascinated him—and the goddess’ presence in the Underworld.

_How odd_ , he mused wryly. _The most beautiful of us all reside in the cursed realm…_

“Lady Sandara really is so…gloriously beautiful,” Seunghoon remarked absently. “I’d heard stories of her beauty, but seeing her up close…she really was not the Lady of the Spring for nothing.”

“She was Seungyoon’s predecessor, right?” Jinwoo asked.

“Yeah.” The former goddess of the Earth, who brought forth the loveliest of blooms and sweetest of songs…

He cracked one eye open and smiled crookedly. “Nothing still comes close to you, though.”

Jinwoo scowled at him, his cheeks coloring an adorable shade of pink. “Liar,” he muttered.

Seunghoon laughed. “Just saying what I see.”

_Just saying what I feel._

He continued to observe Jinwoo, who was playing with Bei in his arms. The stray cats Jinwoo had adopted doted on him very much, despite the obvious Underworld aura he possessed which usually makes humans and animals stay away from them.

As he stared, his heart clenched with something he couldn’t identify—or put a finger to. The only similar comparison he had was a rush he always felt when he wanted to conquer something…to win something. The thrill of a challenge, of another battle he could fight…

But what exactly did he want to conquer? What exactly did he want to challenge?

The sight of Jinwoo playing with his cat and giggling did things to his jaded heart, feeling it alive and beating. Burning with an emotion he had never felt for centuries, overwhelming him to the point it was making him hard to breathe and focus…

_That cold, white neck…those pale lips…what would they feel like against my mouth—_

He rose up abruptly, shooting down the thought in the deepest recesses in his head. It startled Rei, but he could care less about it for now. He knew he had to leave before he started to engulf himself in flames he can never control.

“I gotta go,” he told Jinwoo, and he prayed the winter god didn’t hear the breathlessness in his voice. “I’ll sleep at my place for now.”

The look in Jinwoo’s eyes almost broke his resolve. He wasn’t sure if it was his own thoughts deluding him, but he thought he saw something akin to desire…longing swimming in those dark orbs.

Orbs that shone silver as he stared back in Seunghoon’s eyes.

Unable to control himself, he traced Jinwoo’s cheeks with his fingertips, which became warm under his touch. Leaning down, he hummed in his ear, “You owe me some time alone with you, Master of the Underworld.”

He was so close, literally so close, if he would inch even closer his lips would touch that soft, cold skin—

He willed himself to disappear quickly and teleport back to his apartment.

Once he arrived at his own bedroom, he squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, panting.

He looked down at himself, and laughed dryly. A loud, sudden laugh that might disturb his neighbors, but he didn’t care.

_Damn it._ He squeezed his eyes shut, still laughing.

_This will be difficult, it seems,_ he thought.

_How ironic, the god of fire literally burning over the winter god._


	9. act 04 - the start of a war

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo~ been so long since I last updated this, sorry TT  
>   
> I might be focusing on this story for the gods series for a while I guess . . . then again I change my mind often too quickly LOL

Jinwoo strode in the corridors, realizing he went in early. He had a few minutes to spare before meeting with Lord Jiho and the rest who were invited. Outside, the weather was peaceful, the sky a calm hue of blue. It oddly reminded him of Seungyoon’s blue mop, and he chuckled quietly.

Out of nowhere, he felt a pang in his gut, stopping him from his tracks. It was similar to the rare gut feels he’d felt before, which were more connected to occurrences of bad omens or any unfortunate events.

He closed his eyes, trying to sense anything. As the Lord of the Underworld, he had the ability to detect any anomaly within the environment he’s in, whether it was a twisted deity or any beasts. He even went deep to the Underworld, but he sensed none.

At the corner of his eye, he spotted flowers he’d never seen before in the Celestrium’s gardens. A bunch of asphodels.

“What are you doing there?” Seunghoon’s loud voice interrupted his thoughts. He was dressed in what he thought were battle robes—Seunghoon’s tunic was thicker than the ones he usually wore, with coarse leather vest and various animal hide over it.

And Jinwoo wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating or not, but he saw a hint of something envelop Seunghoon’s body, like a fog. When he blinked, it was already gone.

“Uh, hi,” Jinwoo smiled wryly. “Sorry. Just admiring the flowers. Pretty, aren’t they?”

“Hmm,” Seunghoon murmured absently. “I think _beautiful_ is more appropriate. _Splendid,_ maybe.”

Jinwoo thought Seunghoon was gazing at the garden, but a peek at the corner of his eye told him otherwise. The summer god’s eyes were on him, and he blushed.

With a chuckle Seunghoon asked, “Shall we go to the Hall? Seungyoon and Mino are already there.”

As they proceeded towards the Hall, Jinwoo nearly froze when he realized something.

_Asphodels have no place in Celestrium, but in the Underworld._

Those flowers may mean nothing for any god, but for the Underworld residents, they meant something else entirely.  
  
-  
  
All the gods were in the middle of the conference—with Seunghoon elaborating some battle strategies—when a messenger burst through the doors, startling everyone.

“What is it now?” Jiho half-growled, glaring at the messenger.

“D-Do forgive me, Lord Jiho,” the messenger stuttered, bowing. “But Lord Kyung sent me to tell you that a small army of twisted deities have wreaked havoc on the far eastern side of the gods’ realm and are stealing souls from the mortal realm.”

“What?!” Mino and Seunghoon exclaimed, rising from their seats. “How can that happen?!” Mino added.

“There are battle deities assigned to guard that area,” Seunghoon narrowed his eyes. “How can those deities even dare start a mess there?”

“The said deities were badly decimated, Lord Seunghoon,” the messenger told him. “Apparently, those twisted deities were too powerful to even defeat.”

“And the souls?” Jinwoo asked, recovering from the shock. “Are they sent to the Underworld?”

“No,” the messenger said. “They were consumed by those deities, as if it were their own food.”

The Hall was filled with a cold, stunned silence, the words sinking in. The twisted deities were now starting to move…and what would happen next?

Just then, Lord Jiyong and Lord Seunghyun arrived, their faces grave. Apparently they have been informed as well—by Kyung, most probably. All the gods now stood in attention as the higher gods approached them.

“A sudden change of plans, everyone,” Jiyong announced. “Regarding these events, we are planning to send armies of battle deities to the possible hotspots, while selected gods of the earth will be sent to the mortal realm. I’ve already informed everyone through Kyung, but then I remembered I had to let you know.

“Seungyoon, Mino—remain in the mortal realm for now and focus on your area. We will send sub-deities that will be at your disposal should you need them.”

“Understood.”

“Seunghoon, Jiho, you will be deployed any time for inspection and countermeasures against these twisted deities. Don’t worry, you’ll have back-up attack groups with you—I’m pretty sure fights are inevitable once your paths cross,” Seunghyun told the battle gods. “But you’re not going for now.”

“Wouldn’t you send us now, Lord Seunghyun?” Seunghoon asked, his eyebrows creased in wonder and anxiety.

The higher god shook his head. “It would be unwise if we would send you right now, Seunghoon. You’re one of our best front liners here along with Jiho—it would be best if you remained for a while and gather intel.”

Seunghoon’s hands clenched into hard fists at his words, but he nodded in agreement.

“As for you, Jinwoo . . .” Jiyong started, and directed his gaze at Jinwoo. “You’ll have to stay in the Underworld as its Master. Keep a close eye at any irregularity that happens within that realm as well as the souls that enter its gates, may those souls be of deities’ or mortals’.”

“Understood,” Jinwoo nodded.

“And . . .” Jiyong smiled a little, his eyes twinkling. “I know she’ll get mad at me again for this, but tell Dara that I’ll be a bit . . . busier. So please look after her for me.”

Jinwoo couldn’t help smiling back. “I will.”

With a serious look Jiyong said, “That will be all for today. We’ll keep you updated—and stay vigilant.”

“Yes, Lord.”

As soon as the higher gods left, the remaining gods looked at each other, worry in their faces.

“Why, though?” Seungyoon asked softly to no one in particular. “Why, _exactly_ , are they attacking again?”

“To regain their power?” Mino answered, his voice unsure. “Aren’t most of those deities fallen gods?”

“You’re right,” Jiho nodded. “But my hunch is that there are also deities like us who joined forces with them.”

Meanwhile, Jinwoo sat down on a chair, his thoughts in a jumble. He’d been expecting some sort of news like this ever since that beast attacked Seungyoon and Mino, but never did he expect that the twisted deities would come soon.

The asphodels he saw earlier in the gardens flashed in his mind, and he froze.

_But . . . why? In all places, the Celestrium . . ._

“Jinwoo-hyung?” Seungyoon’s soft voice broke his nightmarish reverie, and he blinked. The spring god’s face was tight with concern, his eyes on Jinwoo’s. “Is there anything that bothers you?”

Before Jinwoo could reply, a sudden movement caught his eye—and realization of what it was hit him a millisecond later.

With a sharp hiss he enveloped the gods with a dark orb, protecting them from the sudden intruder, who was about to hit them with a certain spell.

Jinwoo knew what it was. The intruder was an Undead Soul, one of the irregularities brought forth from the deepest depths of the Underworld.

_Was this what the asphodels warned of?_

“Stay back!” he barked when he saw Seunghoon, Jiho and Mino about to retaliate. “Not one of you cast a spell against it!”

With a flutter of his fingers he worked his magic against the said intruder, allowing him to control the latter’s essence. It was quite an unconventional style for Jinwoo, but then again, he had no choice.

“Who are you?” he asked. “And who is that deity that brought you forth from the dead?”

“And why should I tell you, pretty god?” the Soul sneered. “I am sent by no one.”

“I have every right to ask you,” Jinwoo hissed. “I ask you again—who are you, and who is that deity who sent you?”

“You will only know—once I end all of you!”

Sighing in annoyance, Jinwoo muttered to the other gods with him, “Stay within the orb and don’t do anything funny.”

“But why?” Seunghoon asked.

Jinwoo just gave him a flat look. “Just do as I say.”

Probably realizing the gravity in his words, Seunghoon nodded as Jinwoo went out of the orb to come nearer to the intruder.

“Are ya suicidal now, little god?” the intruder scoffed. “You know what Souls like me can do to Celestrium gods, right?”

Jinwoo’s tunic darkened to black until it became reminiscent to that of embers, as he approached the intruder. His eyes then glowed crimson, his aura as an Underworld god wrapping him like a fog.

The Soul’s cocky expression quickly dissolved at the sight, replaced with unadulterated terror as he fell to his knees.

With a lovely smile Jinwoo lowered himself to him, and said in a deceptively soft voice, “Why should the _Master_ of the Underworld fear something _lower_ than he is, my dear?”

The intruder quivered at his words, unable to speak.

“Now then,” Jinwoo continued in that same voice, “Do tell me who sent you.”

Cupping the Soul’s head with his hands, Jinwoo absorbed the being’s knowledge. He found almost none—just murky thoughts of murder and destruction—until he saw a face. An unfamiliar face, but with an aura definitely that of a twisted deity’s. The possible culprit, Jinwoo thought, carving that image in his mind just so he would remember.

He was sure that the twisted deity knew of the dark spells that were taboo in the Underworld—why else would he be able to bring forth a soul from its depths?

“Hmm,” Jinwoo murmured, his eyes now focused on the Soul. “You obviously did not think that I will be with them now.”

“No one told me,” the Soul whispered.

“Well, at least you are aware,” Jinwoo sighed. “You may have an advantage against gods of the earth, but you are practically rags for any Underworld deity.”

The Underworld god heard approaching steps, and he knew it might be any of the higher gods coming.

“Be grateful I could not cast anything grand against you,” Jinwoo glared at the Soul. “But—” a small ball of black fire appeared in Jinwoo’s right hand, “—I have to dispel you away before any of the higher gods annihilate you for good.”

The Soul’s eyes widened. “No—please—spare me, Lord of the Underworld—”

By the time Jiyong returned to the Hall with an alarmed expression, the Soul was burnt into ashes, tiny black flames licking them to nothingness.

“What was that, Jinwoo?” the higher god asked, his eyes now red—agitated or alert, maybe—as well.

“An Undead Soul,” Jinwoo reported. “I sent it back to the Underworld, never to be summoned forth again.” He snapped his fingers, shattering the orb protecting the gods.

“I see,” Jiyong muttered. “Any more?”

“Would it be wise to send some of my guards here?” Jinwoo asked. “I think Souls will be attacking the Celestrium anytime, and not all gods are resistant to its powers.”

“A good idea,” Jiyong agreed. “It will be of great help—to me, especially, as I’m the only one here in Celestrium who can fight them.”

“So those rumors that the Undead Souls practically negate gods of the earth’ powers and can paralyze?” Seungyoon asked.

Jinwoo nodded. “Which is why I ordered Mino and Seunghoon not to retaliate at all. Not only it is dangerous, it might end up detrimental for all of us.”

“Then I guess I might ask you for some reinforcements from you, then,” Seunghoon muttered, crossing his arms. “Does the Underworld have a battalion of fighters?”

Jinwoo smiled slyly at him. “You might be surprised at the number of soldiers the Underworld possesses.”

“It won’t be a good idea if you send some Underworld soldiers to the mortal realm, though,” Jiyong mused. “Not a good sight to see.”

“That only means,” Jiho sighed deeply, closing his eyes. “We need to regroup and strategize once more.”

\--

It was already past midnight in Celestrium by the time the meetings were done. Seungyoon and Mino had gone back to the mortal realm, Jiho with them. Seunghoon, on the other hand, was still with the rest of the higher gods who specialized in battle.

Meanwhile, Jinwoo stayed by the gardens, trying to calm himself. For the past centuries, he’d witnessed so many lives taken away through wars and famine, even during times of pestilence and disease. Those events were almost normal for him, to the point he could already somewhat predict when the Underworld will receive a grand number of souls from the mortal realm.

Wars involving deities were another matter entirely.

Sure, Jinwoo wasn’t still the Underworld’s Master when _that war_ happened—he wasn’t yet a god, either—but he knew the possible aftermath if something like that happens again.

The mere fact that he grew up without his parents was enough proof of it.

He sat down on the grass and closed his eyes, feeling the cool midnight air. The air in Celestrium is different from that of the realm where he mostly stays, but for now, he let himself savor it. After all, he might not be able to come back to Celestrium for a long while.

He heard feet padding down the soft grass, and a warm presence settling beside him.

He didn’t have to open his eyes to know it was him.

“How did it go?” Jinwoo asked, his eyes still closed.

“Almost well,” Seunghoon replied. “A lot of battle changes—which, through a consensus, will be kept secret to anyone until further instructions.”

A small smile appeared on the winter god’s lips. “So I guess I’ll just see how everything goes, then.”

His companion chuckled.

After a few moments of silence Jinwoo murmured, “Does that mean I will not be able to see you for a long while?”

“I believe so,” Seunghoon sighed. “Well, I’m not going to the frontlines yet, but I’ll be extremely busy. Even Seungyoon and Mino, despite being in the same realm, won’t be able to meet for a long while I guess. And you . . . you’ll be staying in the Underworld, won’t you.”

He nodded. “It’ll be my responsibility whether Lord Jiyong has told me to or not, anyway.”

“Ah, by the way,” Seunghoon uttered, and for some reason Jinwoo felt like opening his eyes. He did—and met Seunghoon’s bright cerulean orbs.

“I confess I underestimated your powers, Jinwoo,” the summer god said, chuckling in embarrassment. “But after you sent that Undead Soul to bits . . . I must say I am terrified.”

Jinwoo felt a sharp pang in his heart, and he looked down on the grass. This was exactly why he didn’t want revealing his powers to anyone except for the Underworld residents—he didn’t want anyone to fear him then leave him alone.

He didn’t want Seunghoon to fear him.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I really didn’t mean to go overboard—”

“Wait, no—that’s not what I meant!” Seunghoon quickly cut him off, his tone worried. “What I meant was, I was terrified—but not to the point I’d run screaming for the hills away from you. I was terrified because I never realized how truly powerful you are, to the point I’m pretty sure you can handle everything by yourself.”

Jinwoo looked up at him in surprise at his words. “What?”

The summer god smiled at him. “Master of the Underworld or not, you’re still that pretty shy Jinwoo I’d known back then. Just . . . quite stronger than I thought.”

“Oh . . .” the winter god looked away, his heart thudding. His fear of being feared of was gone, slowly being replaced by a different kind of . . . happiness he hadn’t felt before.

_Was this the feeling of being accepted despite knowing what you are?_ he wondered to himself.

“I don’t even know how you fight, Seunghoon,” Jinwoo muttered. “I might even end up being scared of you myself.”

Seunghoon laughed out loud. “Hardly. You could take me down in one notch without breaking any sweat.”

He searched the summer god’s eyes for any hint of mischief or teasing. “Surely you lie.”

“I’m afraid I don’t. I’ve been in battles for years—and I know myself very well,” the summer god smiled.

Jinwoo continued to stare at those depthless sapphire orbs, and all he could see was the truth. That, and he’d never seen eyes these beautiful, like the sea . . .

The expression in Seunghoon’s face told him that he seemed fascinated by Jinwoo’s gray eyes, and the winter god wanted to look away in shyness. Yet he was so transfixed in Seunghoon’s gaze, he couldn’t look away.

He didn’t want to look away.

“How odd,” Seunghoon mused quietly, his head tilting slightly in amusement. “Those lovely gray eyes of yours melt to bloody red when you’re mad or provoked . . . is it a thing of yours or something?”

“All Underworld deities are like that,” Jinwoo muttered, feeling self-conscious under his gaze.

“How odd, indeed,” Seunghoon chuckled—to himself, probably. “To think that I would miss even that tiny detail in my temporary absence.”

Jinwoo initially thought that Seunghoon hadn’t notice that characteristic of his at first—until he heard the last four words.

“When will you leave?” he whispered.

“As soon as the sun rises.”

And sure enough, the first rays of sunrise appeared on the horizon, as if reminding them of their respective duties. Jinwoo could feel his heavy heart sink in sadness . . . a sadness he never understood why he felt.

“There it is,” Seunghoon smiled ruefully, his eyes now on the rising sun. “I’m afraid I must leave soon.”

And Jinwoo could feel it again—the very same strange longing, of wanting Seunghoon to stay and never leave . . . never leave him. He bit his tongue, stopping himself from saying the bubbling words in his mouth.

“Don’t be sad,” Seunghoon said softly, almost a croon, his hand reaching out to pat Jinwoo’s hair. “It’s not as if I’ll be gone for long.”

“When will you come back?” Jinwoo breathed, not trusting his voice if he spoke in a normal tone.

“I don’t know,” the summer god admitted. “But,” he cupped Jinwoo’s face and tilted it up, so he could look at his face. “I promise I’ll be back soon after all of this is over.”

Once more Jinwoo was locked in his glowing blue eyes, and his heart was beating so fast like a hummingbird’s wings. He was so caught up in his gaze, trapped in his eyes— _what is this?_

Slowly, Seunghoon’s face lowered until it was just a hair’s breadth away from his. Jinwoo wanted to flinch, he wanted to push Seunghoon away from him with all the force he could, maybe even cast a spell to repel him, yet . . .

“I’ll come home to you as soon as I can,” he whispered, his soft voice firm with promise and resolve. “I promise.”

“To me?” Seunghoon’s words were like the sweetest song he’d ever heard—laced with a kind of pain he couldn’t understand. So sweet, it pricked his heart.

“To you,” the summer god promised, and his lips touched Jinwoo’s cold forehead very, very gently.

Jinwoo’s emotions were a jumble, a great big chaos in his chest like the wildest storms. He couldn’t honestly comprehend what was going on, he didn’t know what was really happening—and yet, he could feel tears threatening to drop from his eyes.

He had never cried before—never in his several hundred-odd years had he ever shed a tear. And yet . . . why . . .

“...why?” he felt himself saying instead.

Seunghoon only smiled in reply.

As the sun continued to rise up in the sky, Jinwoo could feel Seunghoon pull away from him, eyes still on his. He wanted to reach out, to hold on to his arm—he clenched his fist, trying to quell his urge to do so.

“Be true to your promise, then,” Jinwoo said, willing his voice to sound firm. “Or else I’ll cast a dark spell on you.”

Seunghoon grinned. “Deal. And if I return—promise me you’ll meet me.”

He nodded in agreement.

When the sun was already up, Seunghoon stood up, dusting off the grass away from his clothes. “See you, then,” he said, a smile in his face.

“Okay.”

Something flashed across Seunghoon’s face as he looked at Jinwoo for one last time before smoothing it out with a smile, and vanished into a bright light.

As soon as he was alone, Jinwoo felt very . . . empty, as if his own soul had deserted him. Yet the warmth of Seunghoon’s lips on his forehead remained, and he held on to it to at least chase away the crawling ice in his system.

Standing up, he walked towards the gate that will lead him back to the Underworld and stepped in.

_Come back soon,_ he thought, Seunghoon’s smiling face and laughter in his mind. _Come back soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Park Bom's My Lover was playing when I edited this one . . . don't ask me why I suddenly felt emotional.  
>   
> also i'm (temporarily) out of my hiatus mode so feel free to strike a convo with me or just scream at me, maybe, on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/cieruleaxxe)


	10. act 04 - epiphany

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henlo~ Yes we're back at regular programming!  
>   
> I'm not sure whether I'll be able to update Mino's though, since my brain is wired to write JinHoon hahahahahaha help TT  
>   
> Also, please don't hate me for the upcoming chapter(s) ;;^;;

For the rest of his stay in the Underworld, Jinwoo immersed himself in watching over the realm. Every now and then, a messenger would come by and tell him that a few warriors from the Underworld were needed according to Lord Jiyong, and he would send them accordingly.

There would be times he’d communicate with Seungyoon and Mino through a magical device, checking out on them every now and then. The two gods of the earth were separate from each other—Seungyoon with the mortals while Mino was on the seas—but still worked as if they were still together, anyway.

“I literally don’t hear much about Seunghoon-hyung, honestly,” Seungyoon mentioned once. “All I hear from Jiho-hyung is that he’s in the Celestrium, busy working along with the front liner gods.”

“He isn’t out in the battle field?” Jinwoo asked.

“The last time I spoke with Jiho-hyung, he said he wasn’t yet,” Seungyoon replied, shrugging. “I could only guess Seunghoon-hyung will be sent out once he’s truly needed.”

Somehow, that relieved and worried Jinwoo all at the same time.

*

Since it was an eternal night within the Underworld, no one would actually know what time it was, or not even feel the passage of time. But for some reason, even though a day and a half had just passed, it felt like years had already passed for Jinwoo. 

He sprawled on the floor in the receiving hall of the castle, closing his eyes. He didn’t care if anyone would see him in this state—he felt too empty to care. 

Even the mental thoughts of sipping bittersweet alcohol didn’t even affect him one bit.

Faint footsteps echoed across the hall, the sound of silk grazing the floor in his ears. Opening his eyes, he saw Dara gliding towards him, barefoot, holding a tray of food. She sat down beside him and set down the tray.

“Do eat something,” Dara murmured, smoothing Jinwoo’s hair. “You haven’t been eating—or even sipping a drink.”

“I’m fine,” Jinwoo croaked. “Not…hungry.”

A smile was playing on Dara’s lips. “Not even for alcohol?”

A dry chuckle escaped his lips. “Not even that, noona.”

“But you’re very pale,” Dara said worriedly. “Please eat—even a little wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

Jinwoo slowly rose up from the floor, Dara helping him up. It was then that he saw what Dara prepared for him—some sort of Underworld’s version of ramyeon and green tea. 

Jinwoo chuckled. “Seriously, noona?”

The goddess shrugged. “Unless you’d like some alcohol-added tea?”

“No—no need, noona. Want some?”

The two deities started eating, sitting on the floor. It had been quite a long time since they’d sat together and ate like this, Jinwoo mused, probably when way back Dara was still new to the Underworld.

“Do you still remember it?” Dara asked, her eyes amused. 

“What is it?”

“When I first met you,” Dara chuckled to herself. “You were still starting out here as a god back then.”

“And you still wanted to get out of the Underworld,” Jinwoo grinned teasingly. “Even asking me how to get out of here in the midst of having dinner.”

Dara playfully pinched his arm.

“Well, I grew to love staying here,” Dara huffed, putting down her bowl. “I almost don’t go back to Celestrium anymore, right?”

“Although Lord Jiyong’s there most of the time?”

A faint blush colored the goddess’s cheeks. “Well, he’s always there as a higher god now,” she pouted. “He’s going to be very busy there, isn’t he?”

“Well, yeah,” Jinwoo nodded. “He told me to take care of you while he’s gone, though.”

“I’ve been surviving in this cold realm alone without him staying for so long, thank you _very_ much,” Dara rolled her eyes. “Anyway, it’s not as if I can’t take care of myself.”

Jinwoo smiled wryly at her. “Noona, Lord Jiyong’s just worried about you.”

“If he is, then he better get down here and visit me! Goodness. Our situation’s now reversed, seriously—that Underworld deity is now on Celestrium, while I, a goddess of the earth, now stay here in the Underworld! Really, now.”

Jinwoo couldn’t hold back his laughter this time, tears springing out from his eyes. It felt like it was only yesterday the lovely goddess before him always cried to sleep at night, wanting to go back to the earth . . .

“I’m glad you’re laughing now, even at my expense,” Dara muttered, but her eyes were twinkling. “You’ve always been so serious after coming back here from the Celestrium.”

A sigh escaped Jinwoo as he set down his bowl. She was right—he was always so preoccupied, staying either in the receiving hall or in his room, not even resting for a bit. He was always busy, really busy, and yet despite that . . . a certain face always appeared in his mind, disturbed his heart, and messed with his thoughts sometimes.

It was almost annoying, maybe, yet at the same time, he felt an . . . indescribable ache, an ache that seemed to intensify every time Jinwoo would think of him.

“Noona,” Jinwoo asked softly, “what made you . . . what made you decide to stay here instead of going back?”

Dara had always hated staying inside the Underworld—preferred to lock herself in her room as she desperately tried to grow flowers using her magic. But it was no use—her powers were somewhat negated—and she had always sobbed herself to sleep . . . Jinwoo could remember all that, because he used to attend to her before.

“It’s because for some reason, I learned to appreciate this place,” Dara answered after a moment. “One might say it’s crazy for a deity like me to say things like that, but it’s the truth. I might have been once a goddess of spring, but that does not mean I will never learn to revere the sanctity of death.”

“And anyway,” a soft smile was on Dara’s face, “I had a reason to stay—or rather, I found _someone_ that made me decide to stay here.”

“But . . . how?” Jinwoo wondered. “I mean no offense, but you really loathed Lord Jiyong before.”

Dara laughed, a musical chime echoing in the hall. “Loath is quite a strong word, but you’re right. Never have I thought that such . . . loathing would turn into something different, bloom into something beautiful. Then again, when you learn to see a person in a different light and start to appreciate, it’s when you also learn how to accept . . . and eventually, how to love.”

“Is that,” Jinwoo said slowly, “Is that how you learned how to love him?”

Dara nodded, her smile widening. “I didn’t learn how to love him--rather, I only learned I _already_ fell in love with him.”

Jinwoo looked down, playing with his fingers. There was something he wanted to ask of her, the real question he was _dying_ to really ask, but he was so shy. What would she think—what would she even say?

And how would he even say the words when he was practically confused himself—

“Jinwoo?” Dara’s worried voice interrupted his thoughts. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Jinwoo shrunk away a little, pursing his lips. “I—” he paused, wondering what to say. How to say.

“I don’t know,” Jinwoo whispered. “I’m . . . I feel like I’m a mess these days.”

He felt Dara’s gentle arm wrap around his shoulders as she pulled him closer to her body. “You can tell Dara-noona,” she murmured gently, rubbing his back in comfort. “Noona will listen.”

After a long pause Jinwoo asked, very slowly, “How . . . how do you know you’re in love?”

He could hear Dara’s soft gasp, and the silence that followed after. Jinwoo practically froze, his heart thumping madly in his chest, already starting to panic. No, he wasn’t panicking—he was _afraid._

Afraid of what he would know, of what he would learn—but what if it was already too late?

“Jinwoo, my child,” Dara started, her voice soothing—almost motherly. “You do not know when you’re in love. You do not even predict when you’ll fall. It’s unexpected—it’s like crossing a perfectly clear road, thinking there’s no trouble, yet out of the blue a monster attacks you and you are caught defenseless.”

“Rather,” she cupped Jinwoo’s head with her hands so she can stare directly at his eyes, “your heart feels, your heart realizes, your heart _understands_ —when you’re in love.”

Jinwoo felt the air rush out from his lungs, the gravity of her words hitting him like a tidal wave. His heart stopped beating — a certain face appeared once more in his mind — and everything, everything made sense and didn’t make sense at all —

But the goddess was right.

His heart knew—and _understood._

*

Days (or was it still hours?) later, Jinwoo emerged out from the realm and decided to stay a bit at his bungalow. He missed his cats—he still hadn’t brought them with him in the Underworld—and just wanted to check by the mortal realm, or even try to visit Seungyoon, if he still had some time.

As he entered his house, though, he felt something off. The air felt different; it was some sort of a sixth sense for him since he always lived alone. He could tell somebody dropped by inside the bungalow and left quickly—probably Seungyoon?

But his gut was telling him that a person was still there inside. He fluttered his fingertips, and wisps of black fire surrounded his right hand.

He checked the living room—it was perfectly undisturbed. Even his kitchen. His cats were deeply sleeping on the cat tower, not even stirring at their owner’s arrival.

When he opened his bedroom’s door, though, he very nearly buckled to his knees—or threw the flames right at the person sitting at the edge of his bed.

Because there, sitting on his bed, his back on Jinwoo—was Seunghoon. The moonlight coming from the room’s window revealed his familiar silhouette—broad, strong, firm.

If this was just any other day, Jinwoo wouldn’t have minded his presence inside. But now—now that everything made sense and yet still didn’t—his heart was thundering, and he couldn’t even move from the doorway.

He wanted to rush towards the summer god, hold him tight in his arms, bury his face in his broad shoulders and ask him to _stay_ —but he stopped himself. 

As if feeling his presence, Seunghoon chuckled softly and turned his head slightly to look at Jinwoo. “Sit with me,” the summer god murmured, tapping the space beside him. Jinwoo walked towards him, eyes wide and confused, and sat down.

“Sorry,” Seunghoon smiled apologetically. “I really meant to stay here just for a bit before going back—I didn’t realize I was staying in for too long.”

“It’s okay,” Jinwoo breathed, still dazed at his presence. It had been so long, painfully long, since he last saw Seunghoon’s face in the flesh. Even though he was obviously exhausted and drained, Seunghoon still looked handsome as always—in a large white shirt and worn jeans. “At least you didn’t disturb the cats.”

“I actually made them sleep,” Seunghoon admitted, a smile on his lips. “They were so restless—I’m honestly impressed your porcelain’s still in good shape.”

Jinwoo found himself laughing softly at his remark, despite his overwhelming emotions threatening to strangle his breathing. “I secure my porcelain well, you know.”

“How are you?” Seunghoon asked.

“I’m fine,” was Jinwoo’s automatic response. _I’m not fine._ “Things are getting busier inside the Underworld, though.” _I’m feeling things when I’m with you or even thinking of you it’s so hard to focus—_

“I see,” the summer god nodded to himself. “Seungyoon and Mino?”

“They’re separated from each other from the time being, Seungyoon lurking within the mortal realm while Mino’s staying on the sea. They’re still working together, though—although I don’t know how that works.” The winter god averted his gaze, looking at the window across from him.

For a moment, Jinwoo felt envious of Seungyoon and Mino. In one way or another, they were still together, never apart even if they were a million miles away from each other. As if they were forever connected, never to be broken by anything.

A dry chuckle almost escaped Jinwoo’s lips. How could he even compare his situation to that of Mino and Seungyoon’s—those gods were really _together._ On the other hand . . . the thought hurt him deep.

“What are you thinking?” he heard Seunghoon ask softly.

 _You. And all things we will probably never be._ “Nothing. Just thinking when I’ll bring the cats with me to the Underworld. Dara-noona wants to meet them anyway.”

“You should probably take them with you soon—you might end up visiting this bungalow again and witness all your tea sets broken for real.”

Seunghoon’s voice sounded so far away all of a sudden, as if he was at the end of the tunnel and slowly, inch by inch, getting farther away from him. All he could hear was his heart beating madly, and endless choruses of _‘stay stay stay stay’_ echoing in his mind.

It was almost deafening. Excruciating, even.

“Do you want to know what I’m thinking?” 

Jinwoo wanted to say no. He knew Seunghoon wanted to leave, go back to the battle field and be away for so long, and who knows when he’ll show up again—

He felt Seunghoon’s large hands cradle his face, turning it so he would be able to look Seunghoon’s face. He didn’t want to, he wanted to close his eyes and push him away—

Instead, he felt hot lips on his, jolting his system. Jinwoo couldn’t move, was unable to move, even to blink or catch his breath.

Yet too soon Seunghoon pulled away, just slightly, and met Jinwoo’s eyes. The summer god’s eyes were dark and hooded, brimming with emotions Jinwoo couldn’t read.

“You,” Seunghoon breathed, his voice ragged. “Wondering where you are. If you’re here in the bungalow with the cats, or in the Underworld. Thinking if you’re all right, wishing you were . . . with me.”

Jinwoo didn’t know how or when—he just found himself doing it—but he felt his fingers weave through Seunghoon’s blond hair, he felt his body flush against the summer god’s, he felt his lips on Seunghoon’s. It only took a half-second before the summer god responded, demanding and hungry and brazen.

The winter god could feel themselves lowering down to the bed, Seunghoon below him, yet he couldn’t stop kissing him. One of Seunghoon’s arms was wrapped around his waist, the other hand on his hair, keeping him in place. The heat in his belly pooled, then started to spread all over his body, like wild flames devouring everything whole.

Seunghoon’s mouth was on his neck, his lips on fire, and Jinwoo bit his lower lip to restrain strangled moans from coming out from his mouth. It was in vain—the moment he felt the summer god’s teeth graze his collarbone, he couldn’t restrain his moans anymore.

With a sharp nip Jinwoo gasped, his fingers clenching Seunghoon’s hair more tightly. He could definitely feel it now—he was smoldering, wanting, almost possessive. He wanted it, wanted _him_ , reason starting to dissolve in his mind.

And looking straight in Seunghoon’s eyes told him the summer god felt the same way. 

“Seunghoon,” Jinwoo rasped, desperately trying to focus as the god below him traced his body slowly with his fingers. He really was the god of fire—he knew where to touch, to start the fire burning, and to never let it die down.

“Yes?” Seunghoon whispered, his tongue on the base of Jinwoo’s throat.

“What . . .” a sharp gasp escaped his lips before he could even get a sentence out. “What am I . . . to you?”

Seunghoon suddenly halted his movements, his lips now ghosting on Jinwoo’s throat. Jinwoo froze, wondering if he said something wrong—or if he’d just assumed everything wrong. 

Seunghoon’s arms around Jinwoo tightened, as if not wanting to let go, and the summer god took a deep breath. He raised his head slightly, meeting Jinwoo’s eyes, and cupped a gentle hand on Jinwoo’s cheek.

“I don’t know, honestly,” Seunghoon breathed, his voice rough. His words were like thorns wrapping around Jinwoo’s heart, piercing him slowly, and the winter god wanted to laugh at himself, kick himself for letting himself imagine Seunghoon would even have feelings for him—

“—all I know is, you’re someone I can’t be without,” Seunghoon continued, eyes now burning and serious. 

“A friend?” Jinwoo choked out, tears starting to smart his eyes. 

“No,” Seunghoon shook his head. “I wouldn’t kiss a friend like that—I wouldn’t want a friend like _this_.” He wiped Jinwoo’s tears with his thumb. “I wouldn’t even wish for a friend to be always with me—or at least, give me just a piece of his heart.”

Jinwoo’s jaw dropped with shock, his heart stuttering with what he’d just heard. “ _What?”_

Seunghoon sat up on the bed, bringing Jinwoo with him, and adjusted his body so the summer god would be able to cuddle him close. “A piece of _your_ heart,” Seunghoon murmured on the top of Jinwoo’s head. “I was wondering if you’d give it to me, even for a little while.”

His voice was light, almost casual, but Jinwoo could definitely hear nervousness in it. He leaned his head against Seunghoon’s chest, reaching out to hold his hand.

“If I give you my heart as it is,” Jinwoo whispered, “will you take it?”

Seunghoon froze, obviously surprised at his words. As much as Jinwoo still wanted to keep his feelings for him to himself, as much as Jinwoo wanted to hide his heart from the pain—he didn’t care anymore. He had nothing more to lose anyway—so what was the point of running away?

Seunghoon’s arms around him tightened, his lips now on the shell of Jinwoo’s ear. “Aren’t you afraid I’d break it one day?”

“If it would be you who’ll hold and break, maybe I wouldn’t mind,” Jinwoo murmured, burrowing closer. He didn’t know how he could sound so calm, when deep inside everything was in chaos. It was a storm, a roaring tempest in his heart—but it was already past the point of no return.

He might not be able to demand that Seunghoon love him back, even a little—but at least Seunghoon knew what he felt.

_So this is what it felt like, to love someone like this—even when you know it’s doomed, anyway_

“No, I won’t take it,” Seunghoon finally said.

_So this is what it felt like, to love someone so deeply_

“But I’ll leave mine to you,” he added after a beat. He clasped the winter god’s cold hand and held it close to his heart. “So take care of it for me.”

_—even when you know it can be something or nothing_

“What--” Jinwoo started, looking up at Seunghoon in surprise, but the summer god’s lips cut him off.

“I’ll leave my heart to you while I’m away,” Seunghoon whispered against his lips. “It’s always been yours, anyway.”

_So this is what it felt like, to wish you were enough, more than enough, to make him stay_

Jinwoo’s tears flowed down from his eyes as he nodded, happiness and pain and longing crashing on him like waves. “When will you come home?”

“As soon as I can,” Seunghoon promised.

“And when you return . . . will you take your heart back?”

_So this is what it felt like, to sacrifice your own heart for this gamble_

“No,” he shook his head. “But I will take yours.”

“Doesn’t make sense,” Jinwoo mumbled. “It’s always been yours.”

A smile broke through Seunghoon’s face, happiness in his eyes, and gently, ever so softly, he rained kisses all over Jinwoo’s face. His eyelids, the tip of his nose, his cheeks, and finally, his lips.

“Keep it for yourself for now,” Seunghoon whispered. “So when I return, your heart will be truly mine, and you’ll always be with me.”

_So this is what it felt like, to actually fall in love._

*

\- a few days later -

“An urgent message, my Lord!” a messenger scrambled towards Jinwoo, kneeling down in haste in front of him. “It’s from one of the soldiers you sent outside!”

“What is it?” Jinwoo rose up from his seat.

“My Lord,” the messenger looked up at him. “Lord Jiho’s and Lord Seunghoon’s army are quickly being decimated by the twisted deities—and—and—it’s monstrous! The old spell—they knew it—”

“Calm down,” Jinwoo lowered himself so he could be at level with the messenger. “How monstrous is it—and what spell are you talking about?”

“ _Dolóm,_ ” the messenger whispered. “What shall we do?”

Jinwoo froze for a second, shock filling his system. This can’t be—this mustn’t be—

He stood up, his face hard and eyes blazing red. “Summon all the Shadows,” he ordered, “and have them gather here.”

“Yes, my Lord.” The messenger stood up and bowed, quickly leaving the receiving hall to do Jinwoo’s bidding.

Jinwoo clenched his fists, already thinking of the possible scenarios to prepare himself—and his own army.

_I’m coming, Seunghoon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Dolóm_ \- in the Bikol dialect (one of the many dialects in the Philippines), it means moonless night.


	11. act 04 - plague, promises, pain

_Seunghoon_

The early morning’s rays peeked through the windows, stirring Seunghoon awake. He could feel his body ache in places he hadn’t felt before as he stretched a little, and a smile broke through his lips as he remembered what happened last night.

Innocent kisses and affectionate touches that turned into hungry caresses and tempestuous delirium of lust and wanting—a flushed Jinwoo holding him close, panting and moaning in his ear as Seunghoon pounded into him, the taste of the winter god’s skin in his tongue . . .

And a whispered promise uttered in the silence of the night, a promise that threatened to shatter his resolve.

He wanted to linger more in Jinwoo’s bed, hold him closer to his body, yet the mental reminder of his supposed return to the Celestrium stopped him. Lord Jiho had only given him very limited time to leave Celestrium for a while—and he had to return soon.

He rose up slowly, so as not to wake Jinwoo, and softly caressed his face. Cold, soft, smooth—beautiful even in slumber.

A face Seunghoon wasn’t sure if he’d be able to see any time sooner.

He picked up his clothes on the floor, got dressed, and looked at Jinwoo. The winter god’s words were etched in his memory—words he wasn’t sure if he really heard them or really came from Jinwoo himself—and would serve as his own reminder to return. 

_‘Doesn’t make sense—it’s always been yours.’_

A bittersweet smile appeared on Seunghoon’s lips, pain starting to gripple him. Kneeling down, he caressed Jinwoo’s face once more and kissed his forehead. He slipped a note on the bed, praying that Jinwoo would read it—and understand.

_‘I’ll leave my heart to you—and don’t worry, I’ll do my best to come home soon. Seunghoon.’_

*

For the next days that followed, Seunghoon spent most of the time with Lord Jiho and Lord Seunghyun, planning out and doing countermeasures. Every now and then, he would communicate with Mino, inquiring if there were any news within the seas. Sometimes, he would even contact Seungyoon to ask about defense spells and even about the mortal realm—if there were even sightings of monsters that would attack humans.

“None, so far,” Seungyoon reported, his face somber on the magical device the summer god used for communication. “I’ve checked out everything, and I’m guessing—based from all these reports—that the main focus of these twisted deities is to really rattle Celestrium first.”

“I see,” Seunghoon sighed in relief. At least one problem down. “No suspicions yet from the mortals?”

“None.” After a moment Seungyoon asked, “Hyung, are you still even sleeping?”

“Hardly,” Seunghoon replied, exhaustion leaking in his voice. “Sooner or later I’ll be deployed out in the battle field.”

“You’ll be with Jiho-hyung, right?”

“Well, yeah. They’ve already assigned an army for us, just in case we’re needed—”

“Lord Seunghoon!” a messenger interrupted him. “The higher gods are asking you to join the forces now—it’s very urgent!”

He turned towards the messenger, stunned and confused at the news. “Right now?!”

“Yes, my Lord—quickly!”

Seunghoon grabbed his robes and sword, running behind the messenger. “Sorry, Seungyoon, gotta go—”

“I understand, hyung. Be careful.”

Seunghoon nodded and turned off the device. Outside the Grand Hall, Lord Jiho was waiting for him, riding a white stallion, accompanied by the hundreds of soldiers behind him. Seunghoon quickly strode on his black steed, nodded at the higher god, and sped off with them.

*

To say it was a hopeless disaster would be a total understatement.

Seunghoon and Jiho could only watch in despair and frustration as their soldiers became helpless puppets, killing their allies in the battlefield. Apparently, the twisted deities had a hidden ace up their sleeves—a dark, ancient spell that turns the Celestrium’s soldiers into corpse-like beings that annihilate everything and anything they touched.

The spell takes effect whenever any Celestrium soldier touches or attacks any of the original soldiers of the twisted deities—and it seemed that it could not be reversed. So far, only those soldiers from the Underworld are resistant to the said spell, but still…

Seunghoon gritted his teeth, wanting to jump into the battlefield and crush the enemies himself with his own powers. However, Seungyoon had constantly reminded him not to be reckless, considering that twisted deities can negate a Celestrium god’s powers. Not to mention the collateral damage they would suffer from.

“Retreat, retreat!” Jiho ordered. “All of you, return to the base!!”

“Giving up so easily, higher god?” one of the twisted deities taunted. “Why don’t you just surrender to us, huh?”

“I only said _retreat_ , you insolent bastard,” Jiho growled. “Not _fucking_ surrender.”

“Well, suit yourself!” The twisted deity grinned mockingly. “Don’t dare cry when all of you die—for good!”

Jiho’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, a snarl bubbling in his chest. It oddly reminded Seunghoon of an alpha wolf about to attack—or a Seungyoon about to go berserk.

“Hold it, Lord Jiho,” Seunghoon stopped him, holding the higher god’s wrist. He knew how Jiho wanted to avenge his fallen comrades, reverse the spell if necessary, but their current situation hindered him from doing so. “Remember what Lord Seunghyun told us.”

Jiho nodded, relaxing from his stance, yet his face was still furious.

The remaining Celestrium soldiers returned to the base, heavily wounded and exhausted. The healers quickly proceeded to heal them, and the battle gods created a thick barrier around them.

At the corner of his eye, Seunghoon saw one of the Underworld soldiers whisper something to one of the aides Jinwoo had sent with them, and left immediately. Sensing that the summer god had seen them, the aide went towards him.

“He only requested if he could meet the Master right now, Lord Seunghoon,” the aide informed him. “The Master probably knows the spell used by those twisted deities against our allies.”

_The Master? Did he mean Jinwoo?_

“It is a dark spell, as far as I know of,” Jiho said, joining them. “Does Jinwoo know if that spell can be reversed—or at least how to deal with it?”

“It is an irreversible spell,” the aide said, shaking his head. “Do forgive me for saying this, but not even the best of the gods of the earth can actually reverse it.”

“What is it called, by the way?” Seunghoon asked. “Maybe I can ask Seungyoon about it…”

“ _Dolóm_ ,” the aide muttered, his tone as if he spoke something forbidden. “One of the many dark spells of death.”

Jiho hissed, pinching his nose. “It’s no use to ask my little brother, then—spells of death can never be reversed. It is a natural law no one can break.”

“So what do we do?” Seunghoon asked. “Wait until we’re done for?”

Jiho remained quiet, unable to reply.

*

In the passing hours, the enemy forces drew closer, their numbers increasing. Seunghoon knew that by around nightfall the twisted deities’ army would strengthen, as they benefit from the darkness. It would only be six hours before the sun sets—and still, he and Jiho are yet to think of any countermeasures.

Although the Underworld’s soldiers had promised that they will do their best to keep the enemies at bay, Seunghoon knew it would be useless, as they were badly outnumbered.

“It really looks like,” Jiho sighed, raking his hair with his fingers, “we have no choice but to fight along with them now. Or at least eliminate as much as we can. As far as I’ve observed, those puppets are still affected by elemental attacks, but we’ll have to keep our distance.”

“But for how long will we be able to withstand this?” Seunghoon asked worriedly. “We both know our powers are pretty limited in this area.”

“I know. But it’s not as if we just stand still and let the enemy cross to Celestrium.”

Seunghoon pursed his lips, weighing the options in his mind. The Celestrium soldiers were still weak, recovering from shock and wounds, there was no way to contact any god nearby to help them out, and the Underworld soldiers are really few now, compared to the massive army the twisted deities has…

“We really have no choice, Seunghoon,” Jiho told him somberly, patting the god’s shoulder. “We have to fight. That is what we battle gods are for, right?”

Seunghoon could only nod.

*

Two hours before sunset.

Despite all their combined efforts, it wasn’t easy for them to fight against a horde of corpses that, for some reason, still retained their battle prowess. They were basically dead, yet they still had the fighting skill and strength—which slowly increased as the sun inched closer to the horizon.

Seunghoon was almost spent, as he was maintaining the barrier while blasting blue flames and gusts of air against his opponents. Jiho, on the other hand, attacked with thunderbolts and earthquakes. The gods remained a good distance from the horde while the Underworld soldiers directly attacked them. It was almost despairing to watch, seeing their side getting drastically outnumbered bit by bit, and realizing this might as well be their end.

The strain in Jiho’s eyes told him he was thinking of the same thing.

The sun was now so close, close to the horizon—probably less than an hour now before dusk—and Seunghoon wasn’t sure if he would just stop and surrender, or keep fighting until he loses all his essence as a god. It would have the same ending, anyway; he’ll die in the hands of these twisted deities—

_“I’ll wait, then,” Jinwoo breathed into his bare chest, his eyelids fluttering close as he settled to sleep on top of him. “So please come back, okay?”_

_‘Jinwoo,’_ Seunghoon thought, remembering all the words the winter god uttered to him that night. _‘I’ll come back, I swear to you—’_

A sudden attack from the twisted deities directly hit Jiho’s arm, causing him to lose hold of his power. The higher god groaned in pain, almost stumbling down as he clutched his arm.

“Jiho!” Seunghoon exclaimed, torn whether to rush towards him to heal or continue attacking.

“Stay where you are and keep fighting!” Jiho barked at him, his face still twisted with pain. “I’ll be fine.”

“But—” his words were cut off when he saw only very few of the Underworld soldiers fighting, the enemies already closer than he’d thought.

 _Is this the end, then?_ Seunghoon thought ruefully. _I couldn’t even keep a promise…_

Just when he thought everything was hopeless, a wintry gale blew from behind them, and sounds of rustling grass softly reverberated across the fields.

Everybody paused, turning to see the visitor who appeared. Seunghoon couldn’t see anything, however, as it was so dark already—

He went still, suddenly confused and agitated. The sun had literally just set; now why was it so dark all over the place?

“What is it?” Jiho hissed at him. “I can’t see anything.”

“Me neither,” Seunghoon breathed back. “What’s going on?”

“The reinforcements have arrived,” the aide murmured from beside him. “It seems the message has reached Master fast.”

“Reinforcements?” Jiho echoed, bemused.

As if on cue, a black haze swarmed towards the enemies, like a dark cloud about to surround them. Seunghoon was briefly reminded of the Phantoms that resided within the Underworld’s castle who tried to disturb him while he read the books back then.

However, this cloud was obviously more dangerous—fatal, even.

The haze enclosed towards the horde, and then the corpses suddenly dropped like flies, disintegrating into dust. It swooped down, swirled about, until almost a large portion of the twisted deities’ army was gone.

The battle gods could only gape, appalled in what they’d just witnessed. Earlier, they were struggling to at least kill a quarter of them, but this haze…it only took them mere seconds…

“What…what was that?” Jiho choked out.

“The Shadows,” the aide replied, his eyes on the battlefield. “They’re considerably the elite forces of the Underworld, so to speak.”

“Wait—that cloud is composed of many Shadows?!” Seunghoon exclaimed.

“This cloud is just composed of a small number of Shadows, as far as I can see,” the summer god could hear a smile in the aide’s voice. “They might seem harmless, but one small touch of those creatures can cause instant death to anyone. It’s no surprise why they’re considered as one of the Underworld’s trump cards.”

“Do these Shadows move on their own accord?”

“No. They are directly under the Master’s control.”

The cloud suddenly stopped moving around the enemies, and moved a little backward, just a few meters away from Seunghoon and Jiho’s base, then parted into two. 

A beastly rumbling was heard across the plains, and a burning black-blue light burst forth out of nowhere before them. Seunghoon squinted his eyes, trying to see what was going on.

“What is it?” he heard Jiho ask.

All of a sudden, the aide knelt to the ground, his head bowed down. Even the remaining Underworld soldiers did the same thing as the light crept closer to the battlefield.

“You all did well,” a familiar voice resonated across the fields. “Your valor shall be rewarded promptly—but for now, you must retreat and recuperate.”

“Yes, Master,” the Underworld soldiers answered.

It was then Seunghoon realized that the burning light wasn’t some sort of a fireball—it was a person, a god, whose cloak resembled tongues of flames licking the ground.

The said god took off his hood, revealing a familiar face.

“Shadows, you who walk with me to destruction and final ends,” Jinwoo uttered, a ring of authority in his voice, “destroy all those who spit at death!”

At once, the dark clouds moved sped towards the remaining enemies, turning them into dust. Meanwhile, the twisted deities crouched down to the ground, about to attack Jinwoo.

“How dare the Master of Underworld interrupt us,” one of the twisted deities hissed. “You have no right to this!”

“I definitely have,” Jinwoo spat back. “Making a joke out of the unholy spells is not your right either—and it is my business to set you right.”

“Die, you motherfucker!” the deities screeched and rushed towards him.

“Jinwoo, no—!” Seunghoon cried out, wanting to save him, but the aide held his arm.

“It will be all right,” the aide muttered. “The Master can handle himself.”

Jinwoo stretched out his arm, and at once, a large, shining black halberd materialized out of thin air. Gripping it firmly, he swung his weapon towards the deities, slicing them into half. 

The scene was gruesome and horrifying to watch—the Master of the Underworld annihilating the twisted deities one by one, his halberd ripping them into shreds. Screams of pain and terror echoed all throughout the plains, along with paroxysms of maniacal laughter of satisfaction.

Seunghoon had never seen Jinwoo loose like this, a monster freed from its cage. The Underworld god’s eyes were glowing crimson, his small body a black flame blazing towards the twisted deities.

The summer god mused that he’ll never be able to defeat Jinwoo in a fight—he’ll probably just end up dead. He was too strong, overpowering even.

All too soon, no twisted deities remained, and the corpses were ashes scattered in the ground. Jiho and Seunghoon watched and waited with bated breaths, wondering what Jinwoo would do next.

The dark haze gathered into a single cloud once more, grouping in front of Jinwoo.

“You all did well, as always,” Jinwoo commended. “Do stay within this area, and keep watch if there are still any more enemies remaining.”

At once, the cloud scattered, leaving Jinwoo alone. After a pause, the Underworld god turned and glided towards the Celestrium gods.

“Master,” the aide bowed. “You have arrived well.”

“Thank you,” Jinwoo nodded at him. “Go and stay with the Underworld’s soldiers and heal them.”

“Understood.” The aide stood up and left.

Jinwoo then walked towards Jiho and Seunghoon, fishing something from the inside of his cloak.

“Seunghoon,” Jinwoo called. “I need your help in this.”

The summer god approached him, somewhat wary after what he’d just seen earlier. “What is it?”

Jinwoo handed him a large vial of sticky liquid. “Apply some of this to Lord Jiho’s arm,” he said.

“Is this Seungyoon’s?” Seunghoon asked, pouring some of the liquid in his hand and patting it gently on Jiho’s arm.

Jinwoo nodded. “Seungyoon gave this to me in passing, reminding me very firmly that I shouldn’t be the one doing it—but any Celestrium deity.”

After a few moments the injury started to heal, and Jiho was starting to recover from the damage he’d taken. The higher god slumped on the ground, letting out a huge, deep breath.

“It would be best if we remained in the tent for now,” Jinwoo suggested. “You had a long day.”

“Indeed,” Jiho agreed, nodding. “Shall we?”

*

It was already deep in the night, with most of the soldiers and deities asleep. Except for two deities, who were sharing a tent.

Seunghoon was lying down on a makeshift bed, his body too long to actually fit on it. Meanwhile, Jinwoo sat beside him, his fingers idly playing on the summer god’s hair.

“I never thought you’d actually come,” Seunghoon murmured, his eyes on Jinwoo. “I thought it would be just reinforcements from your realm.”

“I had no plans to come, either,” Jinwoo chuckled, “if I didn’t know it would be yours and Lord Jiho’s army who would be attacked.”

A sly grin flashed across the summer god’s face. “Did you miss me too much?”

Jinwoo flicked his forehead.

“Thank you for coming by and saving us, though,” Seunghoon told him softly after a moment. “I really thought we were totally done for.”

“It’s nothing,” Jinwoo smiled. “Besides, not that I mean to brag, but I’m the only one who can fight the twisted deities aside from Lord Jiyong.”

“What do you Underworld gods have that we Celestrium people don’t?”

The Underworld god’s smile turned slightly humorless. “The power to end life—and be the final death.”

“That’s quite ridiculous,” a grin stretched out from Seunghoon’s face. “To think that somebody who can end life also happens to be _my_ life as well.”

“You are so absurd,” Jinwoo rolled his eyes, yet his cheeks were slightly flushed.

The summer god then reached out for his hand, a warm touch to a cold one. “I also thought I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise to you,” Seunghoon whispered. “It was just so draining earlier, and I nearly gave up…but I remembered what you told me.”

“What did I say?” Jinwoo held his hand more firmly.

“That you’ll wait,” Seunghoon replied. “Which is why I had to come back soon.”

“I did say that,” Jinwoo’s fingers danced softly on his face, his cold touch oddly warming his insides. “It ended up me coming to you, though.”

“You can never resist me, Jinwoo,” Seunghoon grinned up at him, cupping his face. “No one ever did.”

Jinwoo leaned down, silver eyes sparkling with mischief. “I didn’t say I did, Seunghoon.”

The summer god’s lips were just a few inches away from the winter god’s when the tent’s door flapped open, making both gods jolt away from each other.

“Master,” an Underworld aide said from the doorway, “a Shadow told me that they detected a possible enemy’s presence a few miles away from here.”

“I-I see,” Jinwoo stammered, and Seunghoon knew the winter god’s face was red as beet, even in the dark. “I’ll go there and see what it is.”

“Understood, Master.”

As soon as the aide was gone, Seunghoon let out a snicker, rising up from the bed. “Got caught in a wrong timing, huh?”

“Shut up, please,” Jinwoo muttered, standing up. “Will you be all right while I’m gone?”

“I’ll go with you,” Seunghoon held his hand, sitting up on the bed. “It’s part of my duties to scan the area, anyway.”

“Really, now.” The winter god raised an eyebrow. “You’re still recovering from almost exhausting your powers and—”

The summer god’s lips cut his words off; Seunghoon realized that he’d really missed him in his arms, the memory of his lips on his a weak comparison to that of actually kissing Jinwoo.

“I’ll be fine,” the summer god crooned against the winter god’s lips. “Let’s go.”

*

_Jinwoo_

It was honestly odd, he mused, to actually be on a war zone again and checking whether the Shadow’s words were true as they trekked across the field.

It was even odder to walk beside the summer god, whose hand was on the small of Jinwoo’s back.

“There’s a possibility that there’s still a twisted deity hiding somewhere, Master,” the Shadow was telling them as it led the way. “That deity most probably didn’t join the fight, I believe.”

“How amusing,” Seunghoon remarked. “Either that deity wasn’t really sold into fighting, or ran away with its tail between its legs.”

“Still, it’s better if we remain alert,” Jinwoo muttered to him. “We can’t afford being lax about it.”

Moments later, Jinwoo froze, feeling the strong presence of an enemy. Even the Shadow became tense, subtly surrounding its Master.

“It’s nearby, isn’t it,” Seunghoon muttered beside him, his stance protective.

“It’s actually closer than I thought,” Jinwoo said tersely, his eyes slowly flaring red. “How near are we exactly, Shadow?”

“Too close, Master. Please stay close—”

A dark flash of an electric bolt suddenly struck the Shadow, piercing it through and dispersing it in the process. At once, Jinwoo enveloped himself and Seunghoon in a protective orb, his hands now wrapped in black flames.

“Who is it?” Jinwoo growled, glaring into the nothingness. 

“Got shocked, didn’t you?” The twisted deity showed itself from the bushes, a demonic grin on its face. 

Jinwoo froze, recognizing the deity. It was the very same deity who sent the Soul back then in the Celestrium’s Grand Hall, who very nearly killed all the gods present.

“You…” Jinwoo hissed. “How dare you let a Soul trespass the Celestrium.”

“Ah, you’ve learned about that, Underworld god?” the twisted deity sighed dramatically. “The Soul’s tongue was pretty loose, I see.”

Jinwoo bit his tongue, not wanting to let this deity know what he truly did.

“Tell me, are you the one who knew about these forbidden spells?” he asked instead.

“ _Forbidden?_ ” the deity snorted. “Underworld god, you and I know that it is not _that_ forbidden as you say it is.”

“It _is_ forbidden for it breaks the natural law of death,” Jinwoo snapped.

“How odd,” the deity tilted its head, a smirk on his lips. “You residents of that cursed realm say that, but hadn’t your predecessor broken the very rule before?”

Jinwoo gritted his teeth. “Shut your mouth.”

The deity laughed. “Oh well, whatever. Too bad for you, this might be the last time we’ll meet, Underworld god—same goes for that god of the earth with you.”

“Why? Because I’ll end you?”

“No.” A twisted grin ripped across the deity’s mouth. “You will expire on this universe— _with_ me.”

“What—” before Jinwoo could even let his words out, the deity let out a word that froze him to the bone.

“ _Karâtan._ ”

The deity swelled in size, light piercing through its body. Its body was slowly deforming, strange growling sounds emanating from it. Jinwoo snapped out from his trance and quickly shoved Seunghoon out of the way. “Seunghoon, run!”

“But why?!”

“This is bad—you won’t be able to protect yourself and I can’t protect you from it either!” the Underworld god frantically pushed Seunghoon away. “Run as fast as you can!!”

“There’s _no _way I’ll leave you here—!”__

“Die, you scum!!” the deity bellowed, and at once—

—everything was a flash of light, and a deafening explosion, debris flying about—

And Jinwoo felt himself blown away from the impact, shielding his body with his arms. It was a few minutes after the blast died down when he woke up from a shocked daze, his head and body aching badly.

 _How did I survive this?_ He asked himself, his eyes fluttering open then seeing the aftermath. _That curse is supposed to end everything—everything that is connected with life—_

_Oh, right. I belong to the realm of **death**. **Of course** I might survive this._

The thought only relieved him for a fraction of a second. Because if Jinwoo wasn’t of life, Seunghoon _definitely_ was.

The sudden rush of panic and adrenaline helped him to stand up, despite the excruciating pain he was feeling.

“Seunghoon?” he called out weakly, searching for him amidst the debris. “Where are you?” He trudged on, feeling the blood trickle out from his wounds, but he didn’t care. He needed to find Seunghoon.

Soon, he saw some sort of a lump, slightly blackened by soot and ash. Jinwoo staggered towards it, wondering what it was. To his horror, it was Seunghoon lying limp on the ground, unconscious.

“Seunghoon!” The winter god knelt down and clasped Seunghoon’s body in his arms, checking for any injuries, distraught and panicking at the same time.

“Seunghoon? Do you hear me?” Jinwoo patted his cheek, praying that Seunghoon would wake up—or at least try to flutter his eyes open. However, he got no response from the summer god. “Seunghoon—wake up, please!!” 

Jinwoo then let his shaky fingers find his pulse, hoping there would at least a sign that he was still alive.

Yet the pulse at Seunghoon’s neck, as well as his heartbeat, practically spoke otherwise.

Jinwoo felt his body turn even colder than before. _This wasn’t Seunghoon, wasn’t it?_

For the body in his arms was pale, cold, and _lifeless._

“SEUNGHOON!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me, please.  
> Also: _Karâtan._ means destruction in the Bikol dialect (one of the many dialects in the PH).


	12. act 04 - bound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt really heavy after finishing this chapter. Must be the background music I was playing when I wrote this.

_Jiho_

A loud explosion was heard from afar, startling everyone. The Celestrium soldiers, as well as the Underworld soldiers, were starting to leave the area when they heard the booming noise.

“What was that?” one of the soldiers asked aloud.

“I don’t know, either,” another replied. “It sounded like it was some sort of a self-explosion…”

“Where are Seunghoon and Jinwoo?” Jiho suddenly asked, alarm in his voice. “They left earlier, didn’t they?”

“A Shadow led them to a location where a twisted deity was possibly hiding,” an Underworld aide informed him. “But they haven’t returned yet.”

“I see—” a deafening, high-pitched screeching sound rang across the field, hurting everyone’s ears. They all covered their ears in an effort to muffle the sound. A few moments later the sound stopped, and Jiho removed his hands from his ears.

To his shock, the field became barren—the ground was dead, dried and cracked. All signs of life, including plants, were deteriorating, crumbling away to their own demise.

“What…” Jiho gasped. “What happened?”

“A Void,” he heard one of the Underworld’s aides mutter from behind. 

The higher god turned sharply towards him. “What?”

“A Void, my Lord,” the aide said, his eyes wide. “An after-effect of a possible forbidden spell cast by someone—most probably a killing spell.”

“Is it possible to get within it?” Jiho asked. “I want to know where Jinwoo and Seunghoon are.”

“You cannot, my Lord, as it will terribly strain your body,” the aide shook his head. “If you’d like, I shall go there to check where they are right now. After all, my body will not be affected by the Void.”

The aide’s body was seemingly made of air, like a black silk cloak floating in space. However, Jiho knew that the aide was made of miasma unique to the Underworld.

“All right,” Jiho nodded. “Please update me if you found something out.”

“I will,” the aide nodded, and quickly flew away towards the field.

“What are we going to do now, Lord Jiho?” one of the Celestrium soldiers asked. “Shall we stay here and wait for their return?”

“We’ll have to leave now,” Jiho replied tersely. “This is a dangerous area to settle in—and anyway, we need to report to Lord Seunghyun as soon as possible.”

At that, the rest of the party continued walking away, stepping in the portal Jiho had created that would lead them back to Celestrium. 

The higher god turned to look back at the field one last time before he stepped in, worry etched in his face.

“Seunghoon…Jinwoo…I hope you’re all right.” 

  
_Seungyoon_  
  


“Aiya,” Seungyoon muttered as he plucked a wilted flower from the flowerbed. Picking it up, he realized it was a budding sunflower—that, strangely, withered even before it bloomed.

Even stranger was it was already in the middle of summer yet the wind was cold—like an autumn breeze blowing.

“Did Mino mess up the weather again?” Seungyoon griped to himself, setting the flower aside. Glancing back at the flower bed, he saw more summer blooms starting to wilt as well.

“Aiya!” The spring god exclaimed in annoyance and confusion, getting his garden scissors to pluck out the flowers. “Why do my summer flowers look like they’re dying?” He squatted by the flowerbed to start plucking, but one word was starting to echo in his mind.

 _Dying._ The word suddenly struck Seungyoon differently, an odd feeling of panic and worry filling his chest. 

_‘Wait, wait,’_ he thought, emotions starting to bubble forth and threatened to choke him. _‘What’s going on? Why am I panicking?’_

He was too immersed in his thoughts; he didn’t even notice Mino approaching him.

“What’s bothering you?” the autumn god nudged him, startling the spring god.

Seungyoon glared at Mino, slightly annoyed. “At least tell me whether you’re behind me or not, Mino.”

“I was practically calling your name earlier, you ding-dong,” Mino rolled his eyes, squatting down beside him. “Anyway, what’s bothering you? Your face looked so crumpled.”

“I don’t know, either,” Seungyoon murmured, twirling the almost-dead flowers between his fingers. “I felt…weird when I saw my flowers looking strange here in my flowerbed.”

He then threw Mino an accusing look. “Did you mess up with the weather again—or with my plants, for that matter?”

“I was within the ocean realm for several weeks, Seungyoon,” Mino muttered, playfully flicking his forehead. “Now why would I mess with the weather—or with your beloved plants? I hardly even messed with the crown of blue roses you gave me, you know.”

Seungyoon made a face at him, and glanced back at the flower in his hand. It really was odd, for a summer flower to start drooping in the middle of summer…

A sudden whoosh of freezing wind surprised both gods, Mino automatically wrapping Seungyoon in his arms. The spring god knew it wasn’t because the autumn god was protecting Seungyoon from the cold—but because Mino somewhat hated the cold and Seungyoon was the nearest warm god to hug.

“Aish-what was that cold wind?” Mino shivered, burying his head in Seungyoon’s shoulder. 

“Well I don’t know,” Seungyoon grumbled. “I swear you really must’ve messed up the weather. It’s still summer, autumn god.”

“I really didn’t!” Mino insisted, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Besides, why would I send such wind that cold? You know how I hate the cold.”

“Maybe Jinwoo-hyung’s doing, then?” Seungyoon wondered. “But he’s not here in the mortal realm, maybe still in the Underworld…”

“Uh, Seungyoon?” Mino suddenly said, his voice quiet yet sounded choked up for some reason.

“What?”

“The flower in your hand…that’s a sunflower right?”

“Well, yes. Why?” Seungyoon was now confused why Mino sounded as if he was seeing something scary, so he turned his head to look at the flower.

The sight of the sunflower in his hand practically terrified him, he literally threw it to the ground. 

“What, what?” Mino now protectively shielded Seungyoon’s body with his arms, his eyes now alert. “What is it, Seungyoon?”

“Impossible…that can’t be…” Seungyoon mumbled, horror coloring his voice. “This can’t be…!”

The spring god then turned to look at Mino, his eyes wide with fear and perplexity. “Mino…I think…”

“What, Seungyoon?” the autumn god anxiously caressed his pale face. “What is it?”

Seungyoon’s voice now sounded like it came from the hollows of a grave. “Seunghoon-hyung.”

Mino tilted his head in confusion. “Huh? What about Seunghoon-hyung?”

Seungyoon could only look at the sunflower on the ground, its yellow petals now tinted black, as a reply.

  
_Jinwoo_  
  


Jinwoo frantically searched for any more signs of life in Seunghoon’s body, now pained and distraught. Time was running, slipping away from his fingers—and the summer god’s pulse was getting fainter and fainter in every passing second. He couldn’t contact Jiho or Seungyoon or any other god for that matter, as they were stuck within the Void. He couldn’t even see any deity nearby.

 _What should I do?_ His fingers trembled, tears starting to sting his eyes. _No, he shouldn’t die yet, not yet, not yet…!!_

He held Seunghoon’s body closer to him, wishing that he, too, could heal. That he, too, could cast any reviving spell to bring Seunghoon back to him—to see Seunghoon open his eyes and smile at him and tell him that everything will be all right.

Suddenly, the twisted deity’s words echoed in his mind.

_‘You residents of that cursed realm say that, but hadn’t your predecessor broken the very rule before?’_

Jinwoo knew that the deity was right; once, Lord Jiyong had defied the laws of life and death when he saved Dara from her almost-death. He had casted a spell on her to keep her alive—in exchange for a price the goddess was, initially, so unwilling to pay.

 _Should I do it?_ Jinwoo thought, glancing at the unconscious god in his arms. _Cast the spell on him just to keep him with me? But…_

He remembered how Dara lashed at Lord Jiyong and cried on her first days within the Underworld, casting all sorts of spells just to escape the realm. However, all of her efforts were in vain, as her powers were slightly nulled. It took so many years—decades, even—before she accepted her fate, before she learned to adapt and later on, to understand and love…

_Can I do it? Deprive Seunghoon of days in the sun in exchange of him alive to be with his friends...to be with me?_

Seunghoon’s pulse was now very weak, like a small flame flickering on a candlewick. Jinwoo’s heart clenched tightly, agony and sorrow threatening to rip him whole, but he knew he had no other choice.

“I’m really sorry, Seunghoon,” he whispered, tears dropping down on the summer god’s pale cheeks. “But I don’t want to lose you, not like this.”

He then lay Seunghoon down on the ground very carefully. In a choked voice he chanted,  
_‘Grant me, you who commands the gods and mortals,_  
_a power to hold a soul_  
_With the chains of absolute immortality, bind this soul to me;_  
_yet with a power belonging to the Earth he shall be free._  
_Send him to sleep, a peaceful sleep,_  
_lay him not into an eternal slumber._  
_He shall wake up once the Earth summons him,_  
_but the chains shall send him back to me.’_

At once, a white fog of frost crawled up to Seunghoon's body, making his skin deathly pale. His blond hair was gone, replaced with a dead black one. He now looked like a resident of the Underworld, just like Jinwoo, so unlike the vibrant god of the earth he once was.

Once the fog dissipated, Jinwoo held Seunghoon close to him, and cried bitterly.

“I’m really sorry,” he uttered over and over again as he sobbed.

  
_Dara_  
  


The Underworld was a cold realm, one of the many characteristics it is known—and unique for. However, today was especially colder, even for Dara.

She might have only stayed within the Underworld for almost a century, yet she knew this was the coldest weather she’d ever experienced. Even colder than the most freezing of winters in the mortal realm.

She rubbed her arms to somehow lessen the bite of the cold as she walked towards the receiving hall of the castle. Even in her thickest of robes, she still felt the wintry air.

As she walked around, she noticed the Phantoms getting more restless than before, screeching and flailing about. Even the attendants did not look like their usual orderly selves—they were messy, confused, and most of all, gliding around everywhere.

 _‘What’s going on?’_ she wondered. _‘They’ve never been this restless at all…’_

By the time she reached the receiving hall, everything was an icy mess. 

The floor was coated with a thick frost, as well as the candelabras hung on the posts. The throne where the Master of the Underworld sat was thickly covered with ice, as if it was splashed with water and left to freeze overnight.

The aides within the hall were a frantic mess as well, flying and scurrying around.

“What's with you now?” Dara demanded aloud. “What’s going on?”

“You have no right to demand that of us, goddess of the earth,” one of the aides scathingly remarked, glaring at her. “You know nothing.”

Dara was stunned—in all her years of stay within the Underworld, never was she spoken so rudely by the aides. Nor was she treated as awfully as now—even the Phantoms surrounded her, their eyes glinting maliciously.

“Succumb to the darkness, little goddess,” they sang darkly, twirling around her. “And we promise you mercy~”

Dara hissed, clenching her fists. “Dare not touch me, Phantoms—you know who I am.”

“Ha!” the Phantoms cackled. “You may belong now to Master Jiyong, but still, you are a weak goddess of the earth!”

“You insolent little—” she was about to attack the Phantoms herself (never mind if she’ll regret it later) when the hall’s doors opened wide, and a thunderous voice echoed all over the hall.

“KNOW YOUR PLACE, AND STAY WHERE YOU BELONG!” Jiyong bellowed, his eyes flaring red. At once, all the Phantoms scampered away while the aides quickly hid themselves. At the same time, the ice wrapped around the hall melted, and the temperature slightly became a bit warmer.

“Jiyong!” Dara uttered in surprise, seeing him. It was then that she noticed the robes he was wearing were the ones he usually wore when he stayed in the Underworld.

“Sandara,” he breathed, clasping her in his arms. “Are you hurt?” he muttered, checking if there were any injuries in her body.

“Well, I wasn’t,” Dara told him. “What’s going on, Ji? Everyone’s acting weird, and it was really freezing cold before you came.”

Jiyong averted his gaze, his face a look of consternation and agony. A moment later, he clasped her hand, and pulled her along with him as he walked towards the throne. Sitting down, he pulled Dara’s body towards him and made her sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her even closer.

“How do I even explain…hmm,” Jiyong murmured, his lips on her hair.

“Jiyong,” Dara cupped his cheek. “What’s going on? Is it bad?”

The god smiled at her wryly. “Depends on how you define bad, my love.”

Dara waited as Jiyong thought out his words.

“Almost a century ago, I bound you to the Underworld because of my own selfishness,” Jiyong started, a dry smile on his lips. “Through a curse that broke all the laws of life and death, I brought you here with me.

“And now, almost a century later, the spell has been chanted again,” he continued. “If it was done for the same reason as I had, I don't know.”

“Jinwoo,” Dara whispered, realizing what Jiyong meant. “He…he casted the spell?”

“It’s the only explanation I have for the sudden…changes here in this realm,” Jiyong told her. “That curse is the only spell that can affect the Underworld and even the mortal realm—as it breaks the general rule of life and death.”

“It’s not the only spell,” Dara muttered. “A high spell casted by a spring or summer god can affect both realms as well—including Celestrium.”

“Oh, right—the so-called reverse spell,” Jiyong grinned. “Odd that I casted a curse on someone who has the ability to reverse it, no?”

Dara flicked his forehead.

“Well, Taeyang did reverse it though,” Jiyong said. “A summer god did that—hmm, how interesting.”

“What is?”

“This time, the spell was casted upon the summer god—and it is now up to the spring god on whether he reverses it or not.”

_So Jinwoo casted it to Seunghoon? But why?_

“Seungyoon can reverse it,” Dara quietly disagreed.

“I know that, love. It’s just that casting it can be very taxing towards the god—and the after effects can be more negative than positive,” he explained. “And I know Seungyoon knows it, too.”

Dara was quiet, mulling over what Jiyong had told her. “What happens if the curse isn’t reversed?” she mumbled.

“The deity or mortal will forever be frozen, never to awake ever again,” Jiyong replied, his voice muted. “The deity isn’t considerably dead—but he or she isn’t alive, either. He or she will be stuck in the middle of life and death, and no one knows what will become of his or her body.”

“So, say, if it was not reversed after several years…”

“Actually, it must be reversed within a year. Or else there will be...consequences.”

Dara sunk closer to Jiyong’s body, her fingers playing with the hem of Jiyong’s garb. Memories of her first years of stay within the Underworld sprung once more in her mind...and wondered what would Seunghoon’s reactions would be once he wakes up from the curse.

 _But he seemed pretty okay when he went here with Jinwoo before…_ Dara mused. _Of course, it would be different if he stays here for a long time…_

“What are you thinking, love?” Jiyong asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Just wondering how would Seunghoon act in case he wakes and realizes his situation,” Dara replied. “Although I’m pretty sure it won’t be as bad as mine, but, still. He’s still a god of the earth, so there’s still a possibility he might be averse to staying here.”

“Well, he doesn’t have any choice though,” Jiyong murmured. “But I must admit I’m worried for Jinwoo. Deciding on whether to cast that curse or now isn’t...easy, you know.”

“Will Jinwoo be okay?”

“As of now...he totally isn’t—as evidenced by the realm’s state earlier. So for the time being, I’ll stay here and act as the temporary Master while he recuperates.”

“Can’t I visit him?”

The higher god shook his head. “I’m afraid you can’t, love. Staying within the radius of the Underworld god who had just casted the spell...isn’t a good idea.”

The goddess’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why?”

A sad expression crossed his face as he whispered, “Our...aura becomes too dangerous. Everywhere we go, every single thing our hands and feet touch is stolen of life. And you, being a goddess of life...once you get near, you will lose your essence, too.”

Dara’s eyes widened in shock. “Impossible,” she breathed.

“We are gods of death, Sandara, it is not impossible,” he caressed her face softly. “A complete opposite of you—and Seunghoon.”

“So what do we do, then?” she implored. 

“We could only wait and see if he wakes up again—or forever sleeps.”

*

_have you heard? the dark god of the night_  
_sits by the flower he preserved with ice, his hands trembling with regret_  
_yet his bleeding, longing heart could not bear to see the flower’s petals wither_  
_for it brought him to life, melted away the ice in his heart._

 

_now, a weak, red-eyed master_  
_stays close beside the sleeping god, whose fire was replace with frost_  
_every night tears course down his cheeks, his heart aching anew_  
_wonders whether if he was right, or if he did it wrong_

 

_ah, love! it must be that powerful to make him do this—_  
_to pluck a dying flower and bind it forever to him_  
_could you blame a pining soul? she who meant so much to him—_  
_she couldn’t die, not like this, not like this._

 

_in the middle of a dying forest, there the summer god sleeps deep_  
_the winter god watches close, his own power creeping like shadows on the ground_  
_in the middle of summer, the freezing air blows, as if humming a sad lullaby—_  
_the winter god closes his own eyes and holds his beloved close, whispers him goodnight._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are kinda confused by the deets I spilled here, feel free to comment/DM me. Or I just might make a thread out of it. Not sure...


	13. act 04 - caveat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second to the last 'scene' of act 04, by the way, so let's just say we're all getting closer to seeing an awake Hoony once more...or will we?

Mino could only watch a fidgeting Seungyoon in confusion, wondering what was going on in the spring god’s mind. Earlier, he’d seen Seungyoon getting freaked out over a blackened sunflower, then saying something about Seunghoon. After that, the spring god bolted inside the apartment and started to pace around, his face scrunched in concentration.

After a few moments, Mino wasn’t able to handle it anymore. He stood up from the couch and held Seungyoon’s shoulders to stop him.

Seungyoon looked up at him, eyes wide and a little lost, and Mino knew he’d somewhat broken the spring god’s train of thought.

“I could only handle your fidgeting and all so much, Seungyoon,” Mino said firmly. “I’m really going to lose my mind if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”

Seungyoon blinked at him, as if not comprehending his words. Mino sighed and cupped Seungyoon’s cheeks. “What is worrying you so much, Seungyoonie?”

The spring god suddenly leaned his body against his, his arms loosely wrapped around Mino’s waist. In a pained voice he whispered, “Seunghoon-hyung.”

“What about him?”

“He—” Seungyoon choked. “Something bad happened to him.”

“…Huh?”

Seungyoon finally looked up at him, his eyes teary and anguished. “Something must’ve happened to him, Mino. I-it’s w-what the sunflower told me…” Tears of worry spilled down his cheeks as he buried his face against Mino’s chest. “I-it’s making me really anxious…”

Mino’s knees crumbled, making them fall down to the floor. The thought of Seunghoon getting seriously hurt and Seungyoon crying was too much for him to bear; after all, he knew the summer god was really strong…and the spring god rarely cried.

The autumn god wrapped his arms tightly around Seungyoon, burying his face in his shoulder. Mino rubbed Seungyoon’s back to ease him, although he himself was bothered with what the spring god told him.

“But,” Seungyoon whispered. “There’s something…something wrong about it, and I don’t understand…”

Mino pulled away slightly from him. “What do you mean?”

“If he died, the sunflower must have crumbled to ashes—and I must’ve felt the loss of a life,” Seungyoon murmured. “But the flower only had its petals blackened, and I felt none…”

“Huh?” Now Mino was confused, unable to understand what Seungyoon was saying. “I don’t understand.”

Seungyoon sat up straighter, pulling away from Mino. “Days before we separated, I infused a bit of your essences as gods in my flowers to check up on you,” Seungyoon started to explain. “That way, I would know your current state without needing that communication device.”

“Okay…?” Mino nodded, trying to digest his words. “So which flowers?”

“A blue rose for you, a sunflower for Seunghoon-hyung, hibiscus for Jinwoo-hyung and peony for Jiho-hyung. Also, the seasonal flowers were connected with you anyway, so I’d really know.”

“Oh. Okay.” _Seungyoon was really meticulous on this._ “How about on that part about sensing the loss of life?”

“I am the god of spring, so I am the most sensitive when it comes to life. I’d really normally feel anything if a human or a deity dies—like a small breath of air passing through me when it’s not even windy, for example—or when a human is born, but since Seunghoon-hyung is really close to me I should have at least felt an impact or something.”

“And…” Mino said slowly. “Did you?”

The spring god shook his head. “No. But the mere fact that sunflower had black petals, and all of my summer blooms started to wilt in the middle of their season, spoke otherwise.”

“Should we ask Jiho-hyung about it?” Mino suggested. “He was with Seunghoon-hyung, right? So he might know what’s going on.”

Seungyoon nodded. “You’re right—maybe hyung knows.”

Mino stood up, and helped Seungyoon up. He then wiped the spring god’s tears and held him close.

“I believe Seunghoon-hyung is fine, Yoonie,” the autumn god whispered against Seungyoon’s forehead. “He’s not recognized as one of the strongest battle gods for nothing.”

The spring god nodded at his words. “Okay.”

He then brushed his lips against Mino’s, and smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For calming me down and staying here,” Seungyoon murmured. “I’d be a mess without you.”

Mino chuckled. “I promised to stay by your side, right?” He swooped down for a quick kiss then held Seungyoon’s hand, his free hand drawing a portal to the Celestrium. “Let’s go.”

**

The Celestrium was a bit of a mess when Mino and Seungyoon arrived, the deities flitting out and about the Halls. They could not even approach a single deity, or even the nymphs.

“Well, at least we hear that Jiho-hyung’s and Seunghoon-hyung’s armies are back here,” Mino muttered. “But where are they?”

Beside him, Seungyoon closed his eyes, trying to sense his brother’s presence within the place. A few minutes later, he pulled Mino’s hand. “I think I know where he is,” he told him. “Let’s go.”

Seungyoon led him to a series of doors, in which Mino recognized as the infirmary area. The spring god paused at a door, and knocked.

“Hyung?” Seungyoon called out. “It’s me, Seungyoon. Mino’s with me.”

Seungyoon then opened the door, and groaned at the sight of an empty bed.

“Aish, hyung!” he griped, frowning. “When will he ever stop overworking himself even when he’s wounded?!”

“Well, that’s Jiho-hyung for you,” Mino shrugged, chuckling a little. “He wouldn’t miss an opportunity to work, you know.”

Just then, a healing nymph entered the room, and Seungyoon quickly turned towards it.

“Excuse me, but have you seen my bro—Lord Jiho?”

“He’s with the rest of the higher gods, Lord Seungyoon,” the nymph told him. “He asked not to be disturbed for a while, though, just in case anyone comes to ask of his whereabouts.”

“Oh, just great,” Seungyoon grumbled, then sighed. “Thank you so much, by the way.”

The two gods quickly left the infirmary and sat by the gardens. In front of them, the summer flowers bloomed in abundance, but at closer inspection, Mino realized that their colors were…paler. Almost lifeless.

“We can’t just wait for hyung to come out,” Seungyoon muttered. “And anyway, he’ll spare me some details, as usual.”

“Why not we ask any of the soldiers that went with them?” Mino suggested. “I’m pretty sure we can get all the necessary information to know where Jinwoo-hyung and Seunghoon-hyung are.”

“I think it would be best if you ask then, Mino,” Seungyoon said. “You’re a battle god, so I’m sure they’ll tell you.”

“How about you, Seungyoon?”

“I’ll stay here and try to at least find Seunghoon-hyung’s essence. It’s easier to do it here than in the mortal realm.”

“All right then,” Mino stood up and gave a quick kiss on the top of Seungyoon’s head. “Don’t push yourself too hard.”

The spring god smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

Mino then went back to the infirmary, checking if there were any Celestrium soldiers still remaining. Thankfully, there was still one, so Mino quickly proceeded to his room.

**

Mino was beyond troubled from what he’d heard from the soldier, the story almost chilling him to the bone. How could they have endured it—how did Lord Jiho and Seunghoon endure it?

_“The battle was really terrible to say the least, my Lord,” the soldier reminisced. “We almost gave up, even Lord Seunghoon was on the verge of doing so. But then…”_

_“Then what?”_

_“Reinforcements from the Underworld suddenly swooped in and mercilessly annihilated every single one of them,” the soldier’s eyes were wide with awe and fear as he retold the events. “And Lord Jinwoo...he really was the embodiment of fear as he sliced the deities one by one with his halberd…”_

_If Mino were to be honest with himself, he wanted to know more how Jinwoo fought against those twisted deities, and how powerful he truly was as the Master of the Underworld. However, he needed to hear what he wanted to know—where did Seunghoon and Jinwoo go?_

_“That’s interesting. But humor me—where are Seunghoon-hyung and Jinwoo-hyung? They weren’t with Lord Jiho when he came back,” Mino asked straightforwardly. There was no time to dilly-dally._

_“We don’t know, Lord Mino,” the soldier sighed, sounding worried. “All we knew was that they’d left early when somebody reported to them about the presence of a twisted deity.”_

_“And...what happened next?”_

_“We were returning back here when we heard a loud explosion from afar,” the soldier whispered. “Just as when we were about to investigate, there was this loud, screeching noise—and then the whole place was dead. As if it was stolen of whatever life it had retained.”_

_Mino was speechless._

_“Lord Jiho was about to rush into the place, yet the Underworld aide stopped him from doing so—saying it was a Void. I knew Lord Jiho really wanted to stay and wait for them to return, yet we all needed to report to Lord Seunghyun as soon as possible,” the soldier concluded._

_After a beat of silence Mino inquired, “Do you have any updates—or any rumors, for that matter—on where Seunghoon-hyung and Jinwoo-hyung could possibly be?”_

_“There are none so far, I’m sorry,” the soldier shook his head. “I wish I knew too.”_

_If this soldier doesn’t even know where they are,_ Mino wondered, _there’s also this possibility that Jiho-hyung doesn’t, too. What do we do now?_

From afar, he spotted Seungyoon sitting very still on the grass, obviously concentrating. Lord Jiho squatted beside him, a hand on his younger brother’s back, as if helping him out.

The autumn god quietly approached them, so as not to disturb Seungyoon. A few minutes later the spring god fluttered his eyes open, exhaustion and frustration evident in his face.

“I really can’t find him,” Seungyoon half-groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. “Not even a tiny trace—nothing.”

“Maybe because they’re still in that Void?” Jiho suggested. “One of the Underworld aides that came back with us had told me that communication can be very difficult when one is stuck inside that Void, or outside of it.”

“Possibly,” the spring god nodded. “But I’m worried, hyung. There’s this...unsettling feeling in my chest I couldn’t ignore. Like I’m missing something very obvious—something that I have terribly overlooked…”

“I just said not to overwork yourself, Yoonie,” Mino muttered, sitting down beside Seungyoon. “But you’re right, it’s really unsettling. Do you think there’s any other way to know where they could possibly be?”

“An Underworld aide volunteered to find Seunghoon and Jinwoo for me before we left,” Jiho told them. “I’m still waiting for some news, though.”

“So we’ll just wait for the update?” Seungyoon sounded like he was slowly getting paranoid—and the blooming flowers around them proved that.

“It’s not as if we have a choice, dear brother,” Jiho said sadly, smoothing the spring god’s hair. “I really wish I could go back there and find them myself, but it’s a very dangerous move right now.”

Seungyoon pouted and sighed, automatically leaning against Mino’s body. Jiho almost felt bad—he’d been his brother’s favorite leaning place—until he saw something in the autumn god’s and spring god’s eyes when they stole a glimpse at each other.

Not to mention the emotional climate they were suddenly engulfed into.

“I just want them home,” the spring god mumbled. “And know they’ll be all right.”

Jiho smiled at him reassuringly and held Seungyoon’s hand firmly. “Be at ease, will you. They’ll be all right. It’s not as if Seunghoon and Jinwoo are not recognized for their abilities for nothing.”

**

That night, Mino and Seungyoon went back to their apartment to catch some sleep—especially Mino, who hadn’t slept much when he’d stayed within the seas. The two were just finishing their late-night tea when soft knocks on the door surprised them.

The two gods looked at each other, wondering who it might be, then Mino stood up to answer it.

“Excuse me, who is it?” Mino inquired, trying to peek through the door hole.

“It’s me,” a soft female voice replied. It was a voice Mino hadn’t heard before, so he turned to ask Seungyoon with his eyes. Seungyoon nodded slightly, confirming that he might know who it could be.

The autumn god then opened the door, and he very nearly lost his breath upon seeing their visitor. Or his heart, probably.

“I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour,” Sandara said apologetically, smiling wryly. “But can I come in?”

 

Mino had never really seen the goddess personally; he’d only heard stories and claims of her beauty and grace. But even in a large, long-sleeved shirt, straight-cut jeans and rubber shoes, Lady Sandara was, undoubtedly, the most striking goddess he had ever met.

“I’m really sorry to visit you so abruptly this late at night,” Sandara said ruefully. “But I have something really urgent to tell you, and I don’t think a letter will be enough.”

“It’s all right, Lady Sandara,” Seungyoon reassured her. “And thanks for the fried chicken.”

The goddess smiled, and for a second Mino thought the whole room brightened. “You’re welcome.”

She then turned to look at Mino. “I believe you must be the god of autumn, Mino,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “This is the first time we meet, am I right?”

“Ah—yes, my Lady,” Mino almost stuttered and bowed. “It is an honor and a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Sandara.”

“Ah, mine as well,” Sandara beamed. “Jinwoo had told me so much about all of you.”

“He had?” The autumn god uttered in surprise. “We’ve very glad to hear that—I hope he shared the good parts, though.”

She chuckled. “No need to worry, Mino, he was full of praises for his newfound friends.”

“Please forgive me for being too abrupt, Lady Sandara,” Seungyoon said quietly as she poured her another cup of tea, “but you did mention you have something important to tell us?”

“Ah, yes.” She took a sip before continuing. “Earlier, while I was outside the Underworld’s castle, I sensed your power trying to sense something, as if looking for a person or for a deity. I figured it might be really the case, considering that your power strengthened as time passed by.

“I then told this to my husband later on, and he told me that you might have been looking for Seunghoon; anyway, it has been almost half a week since he and Jinwoo went missing,” she continued. “Am I right, Seungyoon?”

Both gods nodded tersely. “Yes,” Seungyoon answered. “Do you know where they are right now, my Lady? Or at least know if they’re okay?”

The goddess bit her lip, deliberating if it would be right to crack the news to them or not (despite Jiyong giving her the go-signal already). After a long moment, she took a long, deep sigh, and looked at the younger gods squarely in the eye.

“Seunghoon isn’t dead,” Sandara started, her voice grave, “but he isn’t alive, either.”

 

Time stopped. Hearts paused beating—then restarted after a few seconds. Breaths held as if waiting for the goddess to say that it was all a lie.

“That...That’s just impossible, my Lady,” Seungyoon finally spoke, voice hushed yet strangled. “H-he was just fine weeks ago. Now you’re s-saying that he...he’s…” he couldn’t even bring himself to say it.

Mino simply sat there, rendered mute with shock and disbelief.

“I’m sorry,” the goddess lowered her gaze. “But that it was what Ji—Lord Jiyong had told me earlier.”

“Maybe he was mistaken?” The spring god insisted, his voice almost steely. “Forgive me, my Lady, but it is simply impossible for a god to be in such state—”

“He casted the curse,” she interrupted.

Another pause. “What?”

“The curse. Jinwoo had cast it on Seunghoon—the most forbidden curse only the Masters of the Underworld can cast,” she told him.

Mino could only describe the look in Seungyoon’s wide eyes with one word: horror.

“No,” the spring god mouthed, his face turning pale as a sheet. “He did not.”

But the expression in the goddess’s eyes only proved the truth.

Worried yet mystified by Seungyoon’s reactions, Mino rose up and tried rubbing the frozen spring god’s arms from behind. “My Lady, may I ask what curse Jinwoo-hyung had cast? I’m afraid I do not understand.”

The goddess smiled at him half-bitterly. “Mino, surely you know how I ended up in the Underworld?”

“I do,” Mino nodded. “Lord Jiyong married you, am I right?”

“Is it the only thing you know?”

“Uh, it’s the only story that’s widely spread on Celestrium…”

“Ah, yes, that’s right,” the goddess nodded to herself. “But that’s not the real story, Mino—or at least, the whole story. In truth, Lord Jiyong had saved my life from a beast that tried to kill me, yet driven by his own thoughts—even when I wasn’t even close to dying—he cast a curse on me that I be bound to the Underworld, that I be bound to _him._

“And the curse Lord Jiyong had casted on me almost a century ago…is the very same curse Jinwoo had casted to Seunghoon.”

Mino gasped at her words.

“The said curse is forbidden, for it deviates from all rules of life and death. You see, once it is casted, all your godly essence will remain in your body—but you are neither alive nor dead. As far as what Lord Jiyong had told me, it has to be reversed within a year or else…there will be consequences.”

“What…are those consequences?”

“He never told me that part, so I’m guessing it’s that bad.”

“And how…how is the curse reversed?”

“Through a powerful spell only a spring or summer god can cast,” Sandara answered. “Actually, it’s also a spell that’s pretty forbidden as well, as it can affect the balance between Celestrium and Underworld.”

Mino deliberated over her words, then asked, “May I ask who reversed the spell for you, Lady Sandara?”

“Taeyang did, along with a bit of Daesung’s help, if I’m not mistaken.”

“And did that . . . unbind you to the Underworld—or to Lord Jiyong?”

“No,” the goddess shook her head. “It is the only ‘chain’ that can never be broken by the reversing spell—which is why it is also considered as a manipulative curse.”

“Wait, so that means, even if, for example, Yoonie reverses the spell…” the autumn god trailed off.

“He can never undo that fact,” Sandara finished. “But only ease it.”

This seemed to wake Seungyoon up from his trance. “Ease it how?”

“On my part, I was only bound to stay in the Underworld starting from early autumn to the last day of winter,” Sandara said. “But it simply depends on how the god will reverse it. The stay of the one who was cursed can go longer or shorter, depending on the power he used.”

“But more than that,” Seungyoon asked aloud, directed to no one, “why did Jinwoo-hyung cast it to Seunghoon-hyung? Did he have the same reason as Lord Jiyong? Or what?”

“We’re still yet to know that, child,” Sandara sighed. “In fact, Lord Jiyong’s looking for Jinwoo, seeking the answers himself.”

A long, heavy moment of silence passed, the deities filled with thoughts and worries from what lies ahead before them.

“What do you plan now, god of the spring?” Sandara finally asked. “Will you wake the god up, or will he forever sleep?”

“I’m still…bewildered by all this, Lady Sandara,” Seungyoon confessed. “I mean, Lord Taeyang did divulge the reverse spell to me a long time ago, but I’m not that confident of my powers yet…and I don’t even know why Jinwoo-hyung did it.”

“You are a powerful god, Seungyoon—everybody can attest to that,” Sandara reassured him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. “And I believe Jinwoo wasn’t like Lord Jiyong before; he must’ve a very important reason why he did that.”

“But what if I fail?” the younger god whispered. “What if I do not wake Seunghoon-hyung? What if I do not reverse it?”

“You can and you will. Fear nothing, child of the spring—listen to Jinwoo’s words first, and decide what to do next.”

 

After long hours of searching (with the help of his dragon), Jiyong finally found him by the forest of Erebus, an area between the mortal realm and Underworld where no mortals shall pass, or else they vanish forever. It was a dense forest full of tall, thick trees and poisonous vegetation, but now—as Jiyong gazed at the forest from the air—the trees were bare, the shrubs and vines wrapped in frost, and the ground buried in snow.

_The forest’s state depends on the god who hides within it,_ Jiyong thought. _When I hid here, it was wrapped with more poisonous vines and blue flames…_

After finding a spot for his dragon to rest upon, he commanded the beast to land and jumped down from it. It only took him a walk before he reached Jinwoo—who was in his one of his weak forms, a humongous black snake, asleep as it curled around something.

“Jinwoo,” Jiyong called softly. “Please wake up.”

At once, the large snake’s head raised a little, then the snake jolted up as soon as he realized it was him.

_“Lord Jiyong,”_ the snake thought, apologetic and fearful at once. _“I’m very sorry—”_

“Be at ease, Jinwoo, be at ease,” Jiyong reassured him quickly, holding out his hands. “I’m not angry or anything—in fact, I was really worried for you. You two have been missing for a long time.”

The higher god approached closer and glided his fingers against the snake’s cool skin. “How is he?”

_“I have no idea, my Lord,”_ Jinwoo told him, worried. _“He’s still asleep and physically fine, nonetheless.”_

“Mind if you uncoil around him so I can see?”

The younger god nodded and did as what he was told, revealing a still-unconscious Seunghoon. Now dressed in thick wool, his hair was unmistakably black and skin just as pale as any Underworld deity’s.

He looked like a corpse—but he was not a corpse. At least, not yet.

“Jinwoo, I know you are not as …stupid as I used to be before, or as reckless. But…what made you do this? What happened…that caused a Void back there?” Jiyong inquired.

_“My Lord, please cup my head between your hands, and I will show you everything.”_

Jiyong did, closing his eyes—and despite the agonizing, staggering pain he felt as Jinwoo recounted everything, he understood.

“You are very brave, son,” Jiyong praised him after a moment. “No god has ever dared to do such act for someone they held so dear, and yet you did.”

_“But I subjected Seunghoon to this,”_ Jinwoo told him woefully. _“Will they even forgive me?”_

“I am very sure they will, Jinwoo—I’ll attest for you, if you want.”

Jinwoo was silent for a moment. _“I really don’t want to bind him to the Underworld,”_ he expressed after a moment. _“What if he comes to hate it there? What if he comes to hate me?”_

“Ah, this is really all my fault, I set a bad example,” Jiyong rubbed his face in frustration. “Jinwoo, I’m really sorry I gave you the wrong impression many years ago—when I forcefully brought Dara to the Underworld. However, I’m sure Seunghoon would react differently, if you would explain as honestly as you can. Same goes for your friends.”

_“Will they?”_

“They will listen, son. But we can only hope they listen at least—for the decision still lies on them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a part of Mino's side of the story, 'falling and blooming,' but for the sake of uniformity and to avoid confusion I posted it here. By the way, Happy Easter, everyone!


	14. act 04 - a blazing sunrise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, this is the final part of the fourth Act of this story. This Act has really been a roller coaster for me, even making me exert more efforts to deliver it well. I hope I did TTTT  
>   
> Anyway, there might be a few extras in connection to this Act, and I’ll go back to Mino’s soon, promise. But for now, enjoy the budding summer with me. *^^*

Back in the apartment, Mino and Seungyoon suggested that Sandara stay in for the night with them, if it was all right with her.

“But wouldn’t I be a bother?” the goddess worried. “Besides, I could always find a place to stay here in the mortal realm.”

“It’s pretty dangerous outside, my Lady,” Mino told her. “Aside from the fact that we wouldn’t know how to face Lord Jiyong if something happened to you, would it not be better if you were here so we’d know any updates easily?”

“Hmm,” she thought for a moment. “But where would one of you crash—oh, never mind,” she couldn’t stop smiling in understanding when Seungyoon twirled asters between his fingers, winking at the goddess.

“What is it?” the autumn god asked in confusion, seeing Sandara’s expression. Seungyoon, on the other hand, sneakily placed the aster blooms on top of Mino’s head.

“Nothing, nothing,” she shook her head. “I’m very thankful for your hospitality, though.”

“You’re very much welcome, my Lady,” Seungyoon said. “If there would be something you’d need, just tell us and we’ll do our best to provide.”

“I will. Thank you, Seungyoon, Mino.”

**

The next day, while Sandara was fixing the bed, she spotted a crow perched by the window. It was as if the bird was trying to get inside, or at least drilling a hole on the window through its beak. Sensing it brought a message, the goddess opened the window and the crow hopped in. It had something attached to one of its legs through a ribbon—a rolled parchment, she realized.

Opening it, the parchment read:  
_Sandara,_  
_Jinwoo is with me on the forest of Erebus. He’s still on his weak form as I write, but getting better nonetheless. I suggest you bring Seungyoon with you now to break the curse within Seunghoon, if that’s all right. It’s better to act very quickly now before Jinwoo’s and Seunghoon’s prolonged absence becomes suspicious. I’ll be waiting._  
_Jiyong_

“Seungyoon? Mino?” Dara called out as she went out of the room, the parchment in hand.

“What is it, my Lady?” the spring god asked from the kitchen. He was alone, preparing tea.

“Lord Jiyong told me he’s on the forest of Erebus, along with Jinwoo,” she told him, handing him the letter. “He said I must bring you with me now—and it must be done very quickly.”

“I see,” his eyebrows were furrowed as he read the letter. “The forest of Erebus, huh. It’s a place that can’t be easily reached through a portal.”

“Riding a beast such as a dragon or a griffin will, I believe,” Sandara said. “Will you come with me?”

The spring god put down his cup, his eyes suddenly faraway. White and pink geraniums bloomed from the nearest pot sitting on the kitchen island, which she didn’t miss.

“I couldn’t sleep last night, thinking and deliberating what to do,” he murmured. “I’m not mad at Jinwoo-hyung, just confused . . . but the thought of breaking the curse worries me. I’m very much aware of the consequences once I do it . . . but I’m more afraid of not being able to do it right.”

Sandara smiled at him reassuringly, picked up an empty bowl and filled it with chamomile flowers. “Your power and skill as a spring god was never doubted, not even once, Seungyoon,” she said as she handed him the bowl. “If I remember correctly, you were the only one who was able to concoct a healing potion that helped sick deities who suffered from a terrible blight before.”

“It was all thanks to Lord Taeyang, though…”

“Who told me that you spent nights after nights perfecting it. In fact, both of us believe you’ll surpass us one day.”

At that, Seungyoon smiled dryly at the goddess. “No one can surpass your powers, Lady Sandara. You weren’t called as the Lady of the Spring for nothing.”

“Oh, please, _you_ are a _child_ of spring,” she rolled her eyes, then smiled and patted Seungyoon’s arm gently. “Stop doubting yourself, Seungyoonie. If you want to make it possible, you can definitely make it possible.”

The spring god smiled shyly, his eyes downcast as he handed the goddess pink roses. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And hey—these roses are pretty! Won’t you weave a flower crown for me with these, please?”

“Oh, sure.”

 

While Seungyoon wove a flower crown for the goddess, the two discussed possible scenarios they would face the moment they arrive at Erebus. They’d agreed they will travel with their griffins, Seungyoon bringing along select flower petals and fine dust. Halfway in their conversation Mino joined in, and decided to go with them—to which both Seungyoon and Sandara agreed.

“I’m curious about the aftereffects of the spell to Seungyoon, though,” Mino mused, picking up a toast. “Or to some realms, for that matter.”

“It’ll be a very taxing spell for me, that’s all I know,” Seungyoon said. “I’ll be ‘breaking chains,’ as far as the spell is concerned.”

“The balance between Celestrium and Underworld will be a bit shaken as well,” Sandara added. “After all, a god of the earth will be awakened, yet its soul will still be bound to the Underworld. It’s a pretty delicate move, which is why only very few gods can do it.”

“Does Seunghoon-hyung still get to retain his essence as the god of summer and fire?” Mino asked.

“Yes—the same way I still retained my essence as a goddess of spring and flowers,” Sandara nodded. “However, once I descend to the Underworld my powers are slightly nulled—but not to the point I am powerless.”

“So I guess this is still somewhat a good thing,” Seungyoon muttered. “Only, Seunghoon-hyung’s pretty averse to snow and cold weather in general, so I’m not sure how he’d react.”

“It’s a normal reaction to dislike the temperature there,” Sandara said, shrugging slightly. “But getting used to the pattern is something else, entirely.”

“No—he really _hates_ the cold, my Lady,” Mino chuckled. “Not a day goes by he doesn’t whine whenever the cold winds start to blow in late autumn or when snow starts to fall.”

“Oh,” the goddess laughed in understanding. “That will be _quite_ a problem, indeed. It doesn’t snow down there in the Underworld, though—but it’s always cold there.”

“I just hope Jinwoo-hyung doesn’t get fed up with Seunghoon-hyung’s never-ending complaints,” Seungyoon sighed, mirth lighting his eyes. “Or else we’ll just hear about a frozen fire god.”

“I bet he wouldn’t even dare complain,” Mino grinned, “when Jinwoo-hyung’s there to warm him up anyway.”

Sandara and Seungyoon smiled indulgently. “Point taken.”

 

After breakfast, the three deities quickly proceeded to an empty area within Celestrium through a portal. They then proceeded to summon their respective griffins, which will take them to Erebus. Upon the beasts’ arrival, they mounted on them and the griffins, at Sandara’s command, took them high up in the sky.

“Jinwoo-hyung deciding to stay within that forest isn’t surprising, really,” Seungyoon commented. “Isn’t it the forest where no mortals shall pass, and where death and life meet?”

“It is,” Sandara agreed. “Also, it’s considerably the safest place for an Underworld resident to stay in outside the Underworld, as far as Lord Jiyong tells me.”

“How far is it, exactly?” Mino asked.

“Just a few miles off the Underworld’s entrance,” Sandara replied. 

Several hours later, she finally spotted Jiyong’s dragon resting by the forest. With a hand signal she let the younger gods know that she will descend first, just to check Jiyong’s and Jinwoo’s whereabouts.

With a slight tug to its reins, Sandara ordered for her griffin to land. Once it did, she quickly set down and pulled her robes closer to her body.

She’d long known that the forest reflects the essence of a god who hid within it. However, she hadn’t predicted that the forest would be _this_ buried in the thick snow, the air so chilly it was almost similar to the Underworld’s. The trees were bare of leaves, and the shrubs were seemingly covered with frost. Out of curiosity, she fluttered her fingers, and at once snow flowers bloomed, with a few asphodels appearing.

_‘So they must be near,’_ she thought as she walked on. A few steps later, she crossed paths with Jiyong, who was seemingly walking out of the main forest to meet her.

“Sandara,” he breathed, quickly gathering her in his arms. “You arrived too quickly.”

“Thank the griffins for that,” she chuckled, hugging him back. Pulling back a little she asked, “Where are Jinwoo and Seunghoon? Are they all right?”

“Yes, they are,” the higher god nodded. “Jinwoo’s back on his normal form already, while Seunghoon’s safe and sound.”

“I see.”

“By the way, where is Seungyoon? I thought he’s with you.”

“Actually, Seungyoon and Mino are with me right now. Shall I ask them to come down here?”

“Please do,” Jiyong told her urgently, quickly disentangling his arms around his wife’s. “And hurry.”

Sandara nodded and quickly hurried back to where Seungyoon and Mino were. She then gazed up at the sky, waving her arms so the two younger gods could see her. Seeing her, Seungyoon and Mino quickly swooped down to the ground and hopped off their griffins.

“You have found them, my Lady?” Mino asked.

“Yes, and Lord Jiyong is requesting that you come quickly,” she answered. “Let’s go.”

The goddess led the way towards the main forest, relying on the hints Jiyong had left on the trail. Moments later, they finally arrive at a small meadow in the middle of the forest, where Jiyong and Jinwoo were. Jiyong merely stood stiffly there, his eyes on the goddess, while Jinwoo was sitting on a large rock, his face partially hidden by his hair.

Forgetting their initial inhibitions about Jinwoo’s decision, Seungyoon and Mino bounded towards him and held him tight in their arms. “Hyung!!”

Jinwoo lost his balance, falling in the snow as he was taken aback by their sudden attack. “Seungyoon? Mino?”

“Hyung, why didn’t you say anything?” Mino asked, burying his face on Jinwoo’s shoulder. “Yoonie and I could’ve come and helped!”

“But—”

“We were so worried about you,” Seungyoon murmured, tightening his arms around the older god. “Why did it take you so long to come home?”

“I’m very sorry about that, Seungyoonie,” Jinwoo sighed, wrapping his arms now around his younger friends. “I—We never expected the sudden turn of events, and a lot of things had happened.”

The three of them sat up on the ground, dusting off the snow. It was then that Seungyoon and Mino finally saw Seunghoon, lying very still on the snow, looking very much asleep.

The two cautiously crept towards it, their eyes wide. “His hair isn’t blond anymore . . .” Mino whispered. “And his skin is very pale—like Jinwoo-hyung’s.”

“And I feel his essence,” Seungyoon added as he gently held the summer god’s wrist. “But at the same time, I feel like . . . it’s not there at all.”

Jinwoo fidgeted nervously from a distance, chewing on his bottom lip. He couldn’t look at them now in the eye, pain and remorse in his gray eyes.

“I’m really sorr—”

“What happened, hyung?” Seungyoon asked gently. “You wouldn’t . . . cast this spell if you didn’t have any reason to.”

Jinwoo closed his eyes, as if trying to dispel something from his mind, and let out a shaky sigh. “I really don’t know how to retell everything,” he mumbled, “but I can definitely show you.”

The two gods of the earth exchanged glances, then they held Jinwoo’s hands. At once, Jinwoo’s memories of the fight between the twisted deities and the Celestrium’s and Underworld’s forces played in Seungyoon’s and Mino’s minds, as well as the sudden ambush attack to both Seunghoon and Jinwoo by the twisted deity. It was harrowing and terrifying to watch, but the two gods endured it in order to understand.

By the time it was over, there were tears in Mino’s eyes while Seungyoon remained frozen.

“I’m really, really sorry,” Jinwoo whispered, his eyes downcast. “I didn’t want to cast that curse, really—I only wanted to save Seunghoon. But I just . . . didn’t know what to do . . .”

A beat later, Seungyoon tenderly wrapped his arms around the Underworld god, rubbing his back. “No, I think we’re the ones who should apologize,” he murmured. “Had we known this sooner, we should’ve arrived as quickly as we could. I could’ve done something to help you, or maybe stop everything from happening.”

“And we’re thankful, too,” Mino added, sitting beside Jinwoo and putting an arm around him. “You did your best to save Seunghoon-hyung, despite knowing the consequences.”

“Thank you,” Jinwoo breathed, leaning his head against Seungyoon’s shoulder blade. “I thought you’d hate me for this.”

“Hate you? That’s just plain absurd—unless you did something bad to Seunghoon-hyung, we wouldn’t hate you or anything, you know,” the autumn god lightly ruffled the winter god’s hair.

“Besides, I can help out in easing the curse,” the spring god told him. “I kind of spent some time studying it, but now I’m aware of what happened I know what to do.”

“You can?”

“Hyung, I am a spring god,” Seungyoon pouted. “Besides, Lady Sandara has assured me that I can do anything if I put my mind to it.”

The Lady of the Spring smiled sweetly at him, nodding. “Have some faith on him now, Jinwoo,” she said gently. “I believe he can accomplish it perfectly.”

“Thank you,” Jinwoo sighed in relief.

Seungyoon then took the fine dust and the flower petals from his satchel, and very carefully scattered it atop Seunghoon’s body. He was muttering words under his breath, which seemingly made the dust shimmer in the sunlight.

He glanced at Mino, who was watching him. “Mino, this spell may render me very weak after I cast it, so just in case I faint after a few minutes, don’t panic, okay?”

“What makes you think I’ll panic?” Mino rolled his eyes.

Seungyoon ignored him, knowing full well how Mino will truly react. “I might suddenly shift to any of my weak forms, but don’t worry. It’ll just be a temporary situation.”

“Okay then,” the autumn god nodded.

Seungyoon nodded back, sat beside Seunghoon, and then held out his hands. He closed his eyes, and with his rich, dulcet voice he sang,  
_‘Grant me, oh Earth’s grace who breathes life to all who dwells in this universe, a power to break the chains—_  
_chains that locked a soul to sleep in the depths of the Underworld; do free your beloved child there._  
_Wake him from the deep sleep, and guide him back to the light_  
_Summon him, bring him back, but in respect to the Underworld’s rule_  
_You who holds the command over us gods and mortals, I humbly plead: ease his burdens, and break all chains—but one.’_

In an instant, a bright light surrounded Seunghoon’s body. Slowly, the frost wrapped around his body thawed, his black hair changing back to its old blond hue.

At the same time, the snow around the forest melted, the grass starting to grow and crawl like a carpet. The trees’ leaves reappeared, and summer flowers bloomed all around them. It was a mesmerizing sight—as if witnessing the sweet spring dominate the cold, harsh winter once more. 

A few moments later, Seungyoon started to catch his breath, his eyebrows scrunching slightly. Mino quickly wrapped an arm around his body to keep his balance. Sandara, on the other hand, held the spring god’s hand firmly and started to chant support spells.

Soon, the casting was finished, and the glow surrounding Seunghoon disappeared. Seungyoon slumped his body against Mino’s, gasping heavily.

“All done,” he huffed, struggling to open his eyes. “The curse was pretty heavy, but it’s all fine now. I think Seunghoon-hyung will open his eyes soon.”

“I see,” Jinwoo nodded. “Thank you so much, Seungyoon.”

Seungyoon could only nod weakly, still drained from the spell. He closed his eyes, still catching his breath, and his body fell to the grass.

“Seungyoon!” Jinwoo, Jiyong, and Mino exclaimed in alarm, but Sandara held up a hand to stop them.

“It’s fine; he just passed out a bit,” she reassured them. She smoothed the spring god’s hair as she said, “He’ll probably transform to his weak form later—and like what he’d said, it’ll be pretty temporary. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“I see,” Mino sighed, adjusting Seungyoon’s body so the latter would comfortably lie on the former’s lap. “So . . . what do we do next?”

“It would be best if we transfer location for now,” Jiyong said. “Somewhere safe, where no one can disturb any of us.”

“Will my bungalow do?” Jinwoo asked.

“It will,” Jiyong nodded. “Let’s go—we need to keep Seunghoon and Seungyoon safe for the time being.”

**

It was dark. Dark and murky and cold. And empty.

He did not know where he was—or what he was. All he knew was that he was just as light as air, floating around in some sort of space, yet as if he was also bound to something—like a rope was attached to his body and kept him in place as he floated around.

Distinctly he could hear familiar voices, but they were slightly muffled. It took him a long moment before he could discern the voices—Mino’s, Lord Jiyong’s, and Jinwoo’s.

But where was he, exactly? And what was he doing here?

 

In the deepest, darkest depths of the Underworld, Jinwoo visited the cave where he could keep watch of the deities’ souls. It was one of the most sensitive, and most unknown tasks he had as the Master of the Underworld—to watch over them and check whether they are still pure or not.

There was one solitary soul that shone bright, its aura obviously that of a god of the earth’s, with a dark wisp swirling around it. He recognized that as Dara’s.

Moments later, a dim soul suddenly flared up brilliantly, like a flame. Then, a similar dark wisp enveloped the said soul. Jinwoo sighed, watching it burn.

The soul was Seunghoon’s.

 

It was just so cold. _Will it ever get warm?_ Seunghoon wrapped his arms around his body, assuming a fetal position as he floated around.

He still didn’t know where he was. Was this the so-called realm between Celestrium and the Underworld? Was he destined to stay here before he perishes—for good?

_Perish. Die._ Seunghoon could still vividly remember those last moments—when that twisted deity muttered an unfamiliar word then suddenly exploded. The world was suddenly bright . . . then it dimmed as it burst.

And just before he lost hold of his consciousness, he heard Jinwoo’s voice call out his name. _Pleading. Broken._

Was he dying? Seunghoon wasn’t sure. He still could feel himself, his essence as a god—or, if he had to be a bit more specific, he knew he had lost hold of his essence earlier on, and then it felt as if somebody pulled him back from a Void and yanked him awake. Like he was falling down an endless hole, then somebody dragged him back up.

Only, he didn’t know where he was—and whether he was still technically alive.

 

“Seunghoon? Do you hear me?” He heard a sweet, feminine voice softly call him. It was familiar, like he’d heard this voice from days or weeks ago . . .

“This is me, Sandara.” The Lady of the Spring, Jinwoo’s companion when he went to the Underworld a long time ago.

Was he in the Underworld, then?

“Seunghoon? I hope you hear me.”

_I do, I really do,_ he wanted to say, but he couldn’t find his voice.

What he heard next shocked him to the core. 

“Seunghoon, you are not dead. At least, you aren’t yet.”

 

“Seunghoon, you aren’t dead. At least, you aren’t yet.”

Seunghoon was greatly perplexed by her words. Yes, it was a relief that he wasn’t dead—but what was he now? Was he a lost, missing soul stuck in an unknown realm? Was he considerably even alive?

But looking back, he knew he _almost_ died back then; his loss of consciousness was a clear evidence of that. 

“I really have no right to tell you all this,” the goddess continued, “but I figured you need to know the basics. At least, when you wake up, you won’t be so surprised as to what Lord Jiyong and Jinwoo will tell you.”

_When I wake up? So . . . to her, I’m considerably asleep, then? And Lord Jiyong—what will he tell me?_

_And Jinwoo! Where is he? Is he all right?_

“You’re seemingly aware,” Sandara noted, relief in her voice. “Your fingers have twitched at the mention of Jinwoo’s name—Seungyoon had really outdone himself, it seems.”

_Seungyoon? Did he heal me or something?_

“Seunghoon, please listen very closely. And do try to understand.”

The summer god tensed, waiting.

“Seunghoon, my fate and yours as deities are now almost similar to each other. This is the effect of the decision of the respective Underworld gods upon us, mine of Lord Jiyong’s and yours of Jinwoo’s. It is now up to you on how exactly you would react to it.”

_Mine and Lady Sandara’s fates? What fate is she talking about?_

It took him a long moment before he understood. _Oh no—_

“Jinwoo saved you from an untimely death through a spell—or curse, depending on your viewpoint—exclusive only to the Master of the Underworld. While he was successful in doing so, and Seungyoon as well in reversing it, you are now bound to pay a price _you_ have to pay.”

_Jinwoo . . . he didn’t, did he? And Seungyoon . . . too . . ._

“A part of your soul will be bound to the Underworld now, Seunghoon,” Sandara went on, as if unaware of the mental turmoil Seunghoon was into. “That means, for a portion of the year, you are to stay within the Underworld. However, you are free for the rest of the year to roam in Celestrium or in the mortal realm.”

Seunghoon could not practically understand a thing anymore. There was not even a single coherent thought in his head.

“It is . . . shocking, to say the least, and I am well aware of your possible aversion to the Underworld and to its temperature. I can sympathize with that to an extent, as I myself have abhorred staying there for quite a while. Nevertheless, I guess your stay will be shorter than mine, considering the amount of effort Seungyoon had poured onto the task of breaking the curse.”

The summer god remained still.

“But before you attack Jinwoo as soon as you wake up, please remember this.” He felt a soft, warm hand affectionately caress his cheek. “Jinwoo only wanted to save your life, Seunghoon, and it tortured him so to cast this on you. He has no thoughts of binding you permanently to his realm . . . yet if you come to hate him, he will understand.”

Seunghoon let his body slack as a reply.

**

Dara sighed to herself, seeing Seunghoon remain unresponsive to her words. Yes, it was considerably a miracle to see his fingers twitching slightly (Seungyoon was a powerful genius, that was all she could conclude), yet what she’d said might’ve had an adverse effect on him.

In all honesty, she admitted that Jiyong’s confirmation of what Jinwoo did floored her so much, as she’d been expecting that no Underworld god would dare to do such thing after Jiyong. After all, the curse wasn’t just any other curse the Master of the Underworld could cast, in addition to the heavy consequences it followed.

She knew Jinwoo was so unlike Jiyong in the past—the former was quick-witted, empathic, never implusive and intelligent, but he was almost a recluse. He only wanted familiar people as company, and welcomed no one else. Prior to meeting his friends, he was always in Dara’s company or with his subordinates, discussing Underworld matters. 

Now that he’d found gods he dearly considered as his friends, Dara was clearly overjoyed. They’d slowly managed to make him come out of his shell, and even like Celestrium a little bit. Not to mention the fact there was a sparkle in his once-dull gray eyes, and an easy smile was on his face. To say that even his aides found these new quirks astounding would be quite an understatement.

But seeing him with Seunghoon, even witnessing the very little things between them, greatly interested her. 

The nervous glances, and the slight blush on Jinwoo’s pale cheeks whenever Seunghoon was near; the sneaky glimpses Seunghoon stole when he thought Jinwoo wasn’t looking, and the attempts to hold Jinwoo’s hand. Dara had a few ideas about it, but when Jinwoo himself affirmed all his feelings and thoughts to her, her theories had solidified. She was thrilled for him of course, but at the same time, she fretted over it. Love had always remained a concept to those who remained to be in the dark realm, yet it always brought the biggest changes upon the person struck by it.

Jiyong would be the prime example for that.

She had a slight inkling of an idea why would Jinwoo be driven to cast such spell—it was a move out of desperation, out of love, out of desire for the other to live. (It was quite similar to Jiyong’s initial reasons why he did it to her anyway, except for the second one, probably.) She knew he knew the outcomes, yet he casted it anyway.

_Love is too powerful,_ she mused. _Even the strongest, most powerful of deities crumble to their knees because of it._

She sighed once more and smoothed the sleeping summer god’s hair. How would Seunghoon react, now that he had heard the truth and what would become of him? Would he distance himself from Jinwoo, or would this lead to an ever closer connection?

Dara could only nervously wait.

 

The goddess was almost done preparing jasmine tea when Jiyong went back to the bungalow with Mino. Earlier, they’d reported to the higher gods of Seunghoon’s and Jinwoo’s location, as well as their current state. Dara knew the spells casted upon Seunghoon would be kept a secret; the public story would be that Jinwoo managed to survive the twisted deity’s attack and took it upon himself to look after a severely wounded Seunghoon. However, she also knew that their closest friends would know the truth from Jiyong himself, if not from Mino.

“Taeyang’s also very proud of his student’s feat, saying that Seungyoon would really outdo himself and his mentors,” Jiyong added, taking a sip. “Also, given the spell Seungyoon casted, he predicted Seunghoon would only stay in the Underworld during the winter season.”

“Just two months shorter than mine,” Dara murmured to herself. “He really is such a powerful god, huh . . .”

An arctic fox suddenly scampered towards the kitchen, twirling about Mino’s legs. The autumn god picked it up and nuzzled his face on its gray-brownish fur.

“You did well, Yoonie,” he said softly towards the fox. “Lord Taeyang said it might not be long before Seunghoon-hyung wakes up.”

The fox—Seungyoon—blinked up at him, tilting his head a little. He then held up a paw, and rested it on Mino’s cheek.

“I don’t know, maybe Jinwoo-hyung’s still on the Underworld to recover some of his strength?” Mino answered the spring god’s silent question. “But he’ll come back here, that’s all I know.”

The fox whimpered, then held up its paw against Mino’s cheek again.

“Well, Jiho-hyung’s worried about you when I told him of what really happened,” Mino sighed. “But I guess I need to keep you away from him for a while.”

Seungyoon blinked, the question _why_ clear on his eyes.

“He’s going to endlessly coddle you again and play with you nonstop,” the autumn god muttered. “Remember many winters ago when he literally held you like a baby when you were in this form?”

Seungyoon’s eyes widened as he whined, curling itself on Mino’s lap.

“Jiho still doesn’t change, does he?” Jiyong remarked with an amused chortle. “Still adores his little brother as if he was a child.”

“Not that I blame him in the slightest,” Sandara giggled. “Even in his god form, Seungyoon’s undeniably adorable.”

Seungyoon hid himself in Mino’s lap if it was still even possible, and Mino comfortingly smoothed his fur. “Yeah, I’ll let you in the apartment,” he told him. “Just pray that the landlady doesn’t find it weird to have a fox inside—or think of me as some poacher.”

**

Later that night, Jinwoo returned to his bungalow. Through a note left by Mino, he learned that the autumn god and Seungyoon retired for the time being in their apartment, while Dara and Jiyong were to stay for a while in the Celestrium. He figured all of them needed a good rest; they all had a long day, anyway.

He only went to the Underworld for a bit to check on Seunghoon’s soul, as well as to restore his powers that he somewhat lost when he cast the spell. Jiyong had told him that even the Underworld suffered a bit of an imbalance because of it, but since he took temporary reins to it everything was back to what it was. The former Master will relinquish his control once Jinwoo has fully recovered.

Jinwoo then sat on a chair beside the bed, readying himself for Seunghoon’s reaction once he wakes up. Bracing himself for a fury he knew he deserved.

While the thought of having him in his realm for almost three months was a perverse, sick kind of happiness for him, the idea of Seunghoon staying in a cold realm worried him. What should he do, just in case?

And if Seunghoon decided to stay away from him, what would he do?

Moments later, the summer god fluttered his eyes open, and the winter god tensed in his seat.

The room was heavy with silence as Seunghoon studied his surroundings, his face blank. Meanwhile, Jinwoo’s heart pounded painfully in his chest, waiting for him to speak.

“I heard everything,” Seunghoon began, whispering very softly. “Everything was told to me by Lady Sandara, of what will be my fate.”

Jinwoo remained quiet.

“What am I now, Jinwoo, Master of the Underworld?” the summer god asked, his eyes on the ceiling. “Am I a god still? Or a deity of your realm?”

“You are still a god of the summer and of fire,” Jinwoo murmured after a moment. “All that you are, all that you will be—everything’s still the same. But . . .” he paused, wondering how to continue. “. . . for a quarter of year, you will descend to the Underworld and stay there for the time being.

“When, exactly?”

“Lord Taeyang says it’s possibly around winter.”

The summer god merely hummed as a response.

Another moment of silence passed before Seunghoon spoke once more. “You knew the consequence of casting that curse—which Seungyoonie later reversed—and what outcomes it will bring.” He turned his head towards Jinwoo, blue eyes boring into gray orbs. 

“Tell me, Jinwoo,” his voice was firm yet probing. _“Why?”_

Jinwoo opened his mouth to answer, but he found no words to express what he felt. He closed it again, falling into silence.

How would he even explain his selfishness, to save someone he held so dear?

“You,” was the only answer Jinwoo could utter. “You.”

Seunghoon waited.

“I only wanted to save you,” Jinwoo whispered, his eyes on the floor. “I wanted to save your days basking in the sun, your moments to be with your friends, your powers as a god, and your own memories and very essence as you—” he babbled on. He didn’t know what exactly he was even saying; he couldn’t even express or explain what he truly thought as he cast the forbidden curse—

He felt something touch his hand, and his eyes flickered to it. It was Seunghoon’s hand, gentle and firm—and cold, just like his own hand.

“—you,” he finished, his voice strained and eyes teary. “As I cast it, all I ever thought was you. Alive and well.”

Seunghoon remained quiet.

“If you decide to hate me or even forsake me, I will understand,” Jinwoo continued. “But please know, and understand, that I meant no harm.”

Seunghoon’s hand remained on his for a while, the summer god contemplating his words. With a sudden force that surprised Jinwoo, he pulled the Underworld deity to him and locked him in his arms. Jinwoo’s position was pretty awkward though, as his face landed on Seunghoon’s hard chest, his upper body almost sideways on top of Seunghoon’s. Before Jinwoo could even react, Seunghoon pulled him up further until the winter god’s face was buried in his neck.

Jinwoo’s head jerked up in surprise, his eyes wide at Seunghoon. The summer god merely smirked, his eyes twinkling in mischief and fingers gliding down Jinwoo’s back.

“While I must admit everything has stunned me a lot, I am still grateful, regardless,” Seunghoon murmured. “You really thought of _me,_ something that I shall owe you for countless centuries—and I oddly find it sweet.”

He softly caressed the winter god’s wintry cheeks and whispered, “So what am I to you then now, Master of the Underworld? Am I now under your command?”

Jinwoo’s heart thundered madly, so loud he almost didn’t hear Seunghoon’s question. He was held prisoner by Seunghoon’s intense gaze, like a prey spotted by its predator.

“I—you—” he stuttered, no clear thoughts in mind, and Seunghoon only smiled before kissing him.

 

Magnetic. Magnetic and seductive—smoldering, even. Then again, when was the god of fire not?

Jinwoo’s fingers were helplessly tangled in Seunghoon’s hair, his mouth locked with the summer god’s. His breathing was harsh, erratic, mixed with Seunghoon’s harsher breathing.

A rush of wanting and passion laced with the past few days’ worth of fear and panic ran through his veins, chasing away the remaining frost in his system. All that mattered, all that he needed, was the fiery god claiming him slowly, his tongue and mouth marking him his.

A faint fog of reason was trying to crawl up in his head, amidst the tempest of lust clouding his mind, reminding Jinwoo that Seunghoon needed his rest, and not letting him dwell in this . . .

“Seunghoon,” Jinwoo gasped, pulling away (reluctantly) from his lover. “Wait, stop, you need to rest—”

“Hmm?” the god of fire murmured absently, his lips now on Jinwoo’s collarbone. The tip of his tongue leisurely made a line from the base of Jinwoo’s throat all the way up to his jaw. The winter god shuddered, the sensation shooting straight towards his loins.

“Seunghoon, stop,” he protested weakly, panting. “You really need to recover . . .”

“You’re more than enough to make me recover,” Seunghoon smiled, his eyes twinkling salaciously, and bit Jinwoo’s shoulder. The winter god whimpered.

“Seunghoon, really—” the summer god’s lips cut off his words, and all too soon he forgot about his worries, his thoughts focusing on Seunghoon alone.

Only, when Seunghoon started to rain the winter god’s throat with wet, biting kisses did the latter wake up from his passionate daze, and he pulled away almost completely.

“Seunghoon, seriously!” Jinwoo heaved, his face flushed with embarrassment and (very obvious) want. “You really need to rest. You’re still too weak!”

“Doubting my endurance, hmm?” Seunghoon smirked. “Beautiful god, I’m not the god of fire for nothing.”

“T-That’s beside the point!” Jinwoo exclaimed, blushing furiously. “As per Mino himself, you need your energy and powers restored.”

“Jinwoo, really,” Seunghoon shook his head. “What makes you think I will lose everything I am just because I will pour that to you?” he crooned seductively.

“What—” the Underworld god very nearly choked at his bold words, and Seunghoon took this opportunity to roll over and press Jinwoo very closely to his body.

Burning, possessive, hard and wanting—and Jinwoo knew it was futile to even resist. Not when Seunghoon’s eyes were blazing orbs of blue fire, and not when Jinwoo himself wanted him so. Desperately.

Ever so slowly, Seunghoon slid the tunic off Jinwoo’s body, his lips trailing in his warm, flushed skin. Jinwoo could only watch in stupefied pleasure, his fingers leaving fiery imprints on the summer god’s broad back.

“I missed you, even in my deathly slumber,” Seunghoon breathed against his skin. “Even when I thought I was already dead, all my thoughts were of you.”

Jinwoo let out a trembling sigh, feeling Seunghoon’s fingers arouse him wildly. In, out, breaching in and inflaming him—why was he driving him insane?

“Seunghoon,” he pleaded, voice wasted and lost to even sound coherent and proper.

“Yes?”

“Please . . .”

“Please what?” His tongue flicked over the sensitive skin, eliciting a pained groan. “Be a bit more specific, Master of the Underworld.”

With all the effort he could muster, he tangled his fingers in Seunghoon’s blond locks and pulled him up for a kiss. Not one to miss a chance, Seunghoon kissed him back with equal fervor, divesting himself of his own clothes and wrapping himself around his lover.

He could hear Jinwoo trying to whisper something, but he couldn’t catch the words right.

“I’m sorry, what?” Seunghoon asked, caressing Jinwoo’s face.

Jinwoo struggled to open his eyes, tear-streaked and soft as he gazed at him. “I love you,” he whispered. “That was . . . my real reason.”

Seunghoon froze for a fraction of a second, his heart feeling as if it would burst in his chest. And with a fast, powerful entry he claimed Jinwoo his, his lips on his lover’s, promising him of forever and sweet things and everything he deserved.

**

Outside, the night sky was starting to turn a bit gray, the raindrops softly pattering against the windows. A summer rain, Seunghoon deduced. Nothing weird about it; in fact, it would be something Seungyoon would be thankful for, the rain to water his beloved flowers.

Maybe the rain meant something to Seunghoon this time—the rain to wash away any remaining tears and worries from the past few days, and any blemish fear had left behind.

He gently stroked Jinwoo’s hair with his fingers, soft and smooth to touch. He was still asleep in his arms, snuggled close to him. Unable to resist, the summer god landed a kiss on top of the winter god’s head.

After this, when the winter winds start to blow, he knew things will never be the same. He would feel the pull of the Underworld, beckoning him to come down and stay there, to linger within the eternal night. For a season he would remain there and wait until the earth was green once more.

Had he been someone who was so unfamiliar of the Underworld, he would’ve feared it himself. Not only he detested the cold, he couldn’t stand to be in a place where he couldn’t bask in the sunlight. Or in a realm where Phantoms did their best to annoy him, that is.

However, he’d been to the Underworld once—and, strangely, he had fallen crazily in love with its Master. What started out as warm affection burned brightly into an emotion he wasn’t familiar with, yet he embraced all the same.

He knew what love was, as far as what his knowledge from books told him. He’d seen what love was, from the brotherly love he shared with his friends to the pining affection Mino felt for Seungyoon for the past few decades. He knew that those two were not the same kind of love, as it differed from intensity to priorities.

As a battle god, he knew it was almost impossible for him to even experience what Seungyoon and Mino shared. He was jaded with experiences and hardened with each passing year, to the point even affection was hard to find.

Then again, if the coldest, most terrifying of gods (Lord Jiyong) fell to his feet at his beloved’s presence, what more in Seunghoon’s case?

A personification of fear, Lord of the cursed realm—if anyone had ever told him of what kind of deity Seunghoon would fall in love with earlier, he would’ve accused that person mad.

Maybe he was mad himself, Seunghoon mused. For who else would fall for such a deity?

He snorted. Probably Lady Sandara.

He held Jinwoo closer to his body, burying his face in the winter god’s hair. 

Maybe Underworld wouldn’t be so bad to stay in, if Jinwoo would stay close by his side.

Maybe a temporary death wouldn’t feel so sad, if he would be with someone who made him feel alive.

The morning’s sunlight slowly illuminated the room, grazing his and Jinwoo’s bare skin. It was warm and comforting, making his summer blood rush hot and fast through his veins. The gentle rain didn’t stop, however; Seunghoon could still see the morning shower bless the plants outside.

He smiled to himself, fingers idly playing on his beloved’s cool skin.

It felt so good to be awake again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sudden . . . steamy part, I don’t know how that happened. Don’t ask me. //.\\\


	15. act 05 - nightmares and winter breeze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> when lord jiyong had warned me of the aftereffects of the spell/curse i casted upon seunghoon. and while i was very much aware of it—dara-noona's situation was a solid example—the changes did not fail to stagger me still.

For the rest of the summer and autumn, Seunghoon never strayed far from Jinwoo's side, preferring to stay in the winter god's bungalow than on his own condominium unit. Aside from the fact that he was still recovering, he wanted to be with Jinwoo more than anything else.

In fact, he had delegated most of his duties as a battle strategist to the other battle gods, except for those tasks that he knew he could handle.

"But, would it be okay though?" Jinwoo couldn't help asking when the summer god brought up the subject.

"It's fine," Seunghoon told him. "And anyway, I have dedicated all my existence in battles even when I was still a demigod, Jinwoo. Isn't it high time that I take a work leave and give myself a break? I can't spend—and don't want to spend—the rest of my life within war zones, you know."

"Oh, okay," Jinwoo uttered in understanding. "But you'll probably find yourself missing your job, wishing you were busy with battle stuff."

Seunghoon smiled, mischief twinkling in his blue eyes. "If anything," he murmured, pulling Jinwoo to him and holding him close, "I'll be busy with _you._ "

*

Truth be told, Jinwoo didn't have any problems with having Seunghoon around, always with him. In fact, it made him very happy to have the summer god close to him. However, alongside his joy of having him is the worry and fear in his heart about Seunghoon's current state.

When he had casted the curse/spell upon the summer god, he knew the consequences he (and Seunghoon) will face. Lord Jiyong had emphasized the changes that may occur to Seunghoon, having witnessed the effects of the spell the higher god had casted on Lady Sandara.

As such, Seunghoon might be alive and recovering now thanks to Jinwoo's and Seungyoon's respective spells, the Underworld god's remorse and agony over his decision never dissipated at all, the terror and agony from that day still burning him.

Moreover, his fear that Seunghoon might never like it in the long run, or even despise him, still haunted him.

Jinwoo might still be yet to see what would happen to Seunghoon, but it never eased his troubled soul.

*

_The fields were blackened with soot and ash, some areas still burning from the explosion. Still, Jinwoo trudged on, ignoring the agonizing pain racking his system and the blood trickling on his skin just to find Seunghoon._

_He needed to find Seunghoon._

_Soon, he spotted a lump covered with ash, and Jinwoo approached it. Horror and agony gripped his heart when he realized it was an unconscious Seunghoon._

_Jinwoo fell to his knees and quickly gathered the summer god in his arms. Frantically, he searched for a heartbeat, or even a pulse._

_He heard none. Felt none. No beat, no sign of life within the god's cold body._

_And slowly, with the passing breeze, Seunghoon's body slowly disintegrated into ash, like that of a deity punished of a final death within the Underworld—_

—Jinwoo woke up with a jolt, crying out Seunghoon's name. It felt so real, so vivid, as if it truly happened and experienced it all over again…

"Jinwoo!" Seunghoon exclaimed in alarm, rising up from the bed and holding the trembling, gasping god close. "It's okay, it's okay—it's just a dream, all right?" His lips ghosted on top of Jinwoo's head, one of his hands gently rubbing the winter god's back in comfort.

The Underworld god stared at Seunghoon with wide, panicked eyes, still disoriented from his nightmare. His cold fingers slowly traced the summer god's face, as if making sure he was alive.

"You aren't dead," he whispered, voice choked. "are you?"

"I'm alive, Jinwoo," Seunghoon murmured, taking one of Jinwoo's hands and kissing his palm. "I'm okay. I'm here."

"And I bound you to the Underworld...didn't I?"

The summer god blinked at him, taken aback by his question. "Yes, you did," he answered after a beat of silence.

"And Seungyoon woke you up, didn't he?"

"...Yes, he did."

The winter god then buried his head on Seunghoon's chest, tears flowing from his eyes and mumbling, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over again.

Despite his confusion and worry over Jinwoo, the summer god tightened his arms around the winter god, reassuring him gently.

By the time Jinwoo had fallen asleep, the sun was starting to rise—and, for some reason, Seunghoon felt that winter was coming sooner than he'd thought.

*

It was almost noon when Jinwoo woke up, feeling a little heavy. Memories of that nightmare and Seunghoon comforting him rushed through his mind, and his face flushed with embarrassment.

He turned towards Seunghoon to wake him up (and make him prepare brunch, as Jinwoo is at a loss when it comes to food). However, he noticed something seemingly odd on the summer god's features.

No—something was really different.

Seunghoon's skin was paler than his usual skin tone, almost as pale as Jinwoo's. His hair was a darker shade of gold, unlike the bright blond hue—

_Wait_ , Jinwoo thought. _Could it be—?_

He grabbed his phone to check the date, or any status regarding the weather. Unsatisfied, he opened the calendar app and realized it was only a few days before winter officially starts.

_"I'm not really sure about this," Lord Jiyong sighed, "but once the winter starts, Seunghoon may feel some sort of a sleepy sensation, as if he is being lured by the Underworld. Of course there will be changes—you've seen them on Sandara—but...I don't know what changes Seunghoon will have, or what he will exactly feel. There's a chance that his situation may be different from Sandara's. Not to mention, Seungyoon's reversal spell was a bit more powerful that Taeyang's. Regardless, keep an eye on him."_

"Jinwoo?" Seunghoon's sleepy voice broke through his thoughts. "You okay?"

"I-I'm good," he replied, turning his gaze towards the summer god. "Good morning."

"Hmm," Seunghoon stretched his arms, eyes squeezing shut. "I kinda feel...heavy or something. Did we do it or not?"

"...Huh?"

The summer god cracked an eye open, smiling teasingly at Jinwoo. "I mean, did we do _it_ or—"

"Oh, that—no, we didn't," the winter god answered in a rush, face red. "But...I did wake you up at the wee hours of the morning. Sorry."

"Ah," Seunghoon nodded to himself, then pulled Jinwoo close to him. "It's fine," he murmured, kissing the winter god's hair. "And I mean it, Jinwoo."

The edge in Seunghoon's voice made Jinwoo look at him. "Seunghoon?"

Seunghoon smiled at him, his gaze soft yet worried, and caressed Jinwoo's face. "You're still...regretful over what you did to me, right?"

The Underworld god's eyes widened, then looked down. "Yeah," he mumbled.

"That if there was any other way to save me, you'd do it without all the...consequences."

Jinwoo kept silent, unable to speak. So Seunghoon had seen through him, probably because of the nightmares he had…

"I'm sorry," Jinwoo whispered, regret and pain filling him once more. "I really wanted to save you…"

"Jinwoo," Seunghoon murmured gently, tilting the winter god's chin up, "It's fine, really. It's all right. I understand that you really wanted to save me, and not to bind my soul to the Underworld. I'll admit, it'll be pretty hard for me to adjust as I am a god of the earth who prefers to bask in the sunlight"—he pressed a finger to Jinwoo's lips when he was about to say something—"but I'll be fine. As long as you're with me, a temporary 'death' wouldn't feel so sad."

Jinwoo stared right into his cobalt eyes, looking for any sign that he was just trying to calm him down or something. But all he saw was blatant sincerity...and love in Seunghoon's orbs.

"Please don't stress about it too much, all right?" Seunghoon said softly yet firmly, cupping Jinwoo's face. "I'll be okay, I promise you that."

"Okay," Jinwoo said after a moment, burrowing closer to Seunghoon's body. "I'll do my best."

"Good." the summer god kissed his hair.

"Ah, by the way," Seunghoon suddenly said after a long while. "Basing on the shiveringly cold wind I feel...it's almost winter now, isn't it?"

"Well, um, yes," the winter god replied. "And wait—I don't feel any wind blowing yet, Seunghoon."

"But why is it so cold? Ugh," the summer god groaned and snuggled closer to Jinwoo, as if seeking warmth.

"You do realize you're hugging a snow-cold winter god, right?" Jinwoo muttered, remembering that Seunghoon hated the cold season.

"Brr, so that explains the extra chill." But Seunghoon didn't even budge.

"Get used to the cold, you snow-allergic god. For your information, the Underworld is a cold realm—well, you know that, right?" Jinwoo scolded playfully.

"Yeah, I know that. When will I go there?"

"Around the start of winter, I think—or so Lord Taeyang thinks. By the way, speaking of which, do you feel any pull, or any thoughts about going to the Underworld?"

"Nope," the summer god shook his head. "Only thoughts of trying to find out how to escape the cold."

"You're impossible," Jinwoo rolled his eyes. "Shall I bring a heater for your room, then?"

"Nope, no need. I think I found a better solution than that."

"And what is it?"

Seunghoon grinned at him wickedly, rolling and pinning Jinwoo below him. "This," he crooned, nipping on the winter god's collarbone and soothing it with his tongue.

The winter god gasped, struggling to be free from Seunghoon's hold. "You annoying god, get off me!"

"Aw, don't be coy. Besides, I'll stick around with you in your realm—a little dry run wouldn't hurt, would it?"

"Seunghoon—!"

The summer god shut Jinwoo's lips with his, swallowing all the Underworld god's protests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am temporarily (read: sort of) back.
> 
> In all honesty, I have already finished the act 06, but who knows when I am gonna post it. Anyway, I hope you'd love this, and please leave me comments~


	16. act 06 - a resident of the underworld

The signs were very subtle, too subtle for Jinwoo to even notice. It was the little oddities and moments that seemed insignificant at first, yet as the days passed by, they became more obvious.

There would be short intervals when Seunghoon just pauses from his work, his cobalt eyes staring at something far away. A moment when he suddenly seems to zone out from a conversation with Jinwoo, a minute when he forgets himself and stands in the middle of the room, face blank.

Normally, Jinwoo would've just dismissed them, thinking that Seunghoon was just being his weird self and all—or just being the 'dramatic, dysfunctional' god of summer and fire. However, the situation was now different; Seunghoon was now bound to the Underworld and its Master due to Jinwoo's curse, and those oddities might be the 'signs' Jinwoo was looking for.

Which the current season, and then Seunghoon himself, confirmed later on.

*

"I've been...very weird lately, haven't I?" Seunghoon asked quietly, sitting on the couch beside Jinwoo.

"Well, yes, you have been," the winter god replied, worry in his tone. "Is something wrong?"

"Depends on how you define 'wrong,' though," Seunghoon muttered. "But right now, it feels like it's my, uh, sort of lucid interval, so I'm taking this chance to talk to you about it."

The winter god's eyebrows scrunched together, inching closer to Seunghoon. "About what?"

The summer god took a moment before answering. "The Underworld," he said slowly, "is luring me in."

Jinwoo froze at his words.

"It's just plain strange, really," the summer god murmured. "One moment I'm with you, the next moment I'm not. One moment I'm thinking about what to cook for lunch, then suddenly my thoughts shift towards wanting to walk towards someone, or somewhere—I don't know. And...it's as if it doesn't feel right to be here in the mortal realm, but in the Underworld."

The Underworld god was silent, his words sinking in. Lord Jiyong's words from before echoed in his mind. For a moment, Jinwoo was at a loss.

_What should I do? Send him now to the Underworld, or…?_

"I guess you should take me to the Underworld, Jinwoo," Seunghoon told him, as if he read the winter god's thoughts.

Jinwoo stared at him for a moment, then sighed deeply. "All right, then. Go change into a tunic...and a pair of pants, maybe."

Seunghoon raised a brow at him. "Pants? Like leather pants?"

The winter god smiled at him. "Trust me," he said. "You'll need it."

*

Later on, Jinwoo and Seunghoon proceeded to the Underworld, after telling Seungyoon and Mino (then Jiho, later on) of the summer god's descent. As soon as the boat reached the end of the river, the two gods took off the boat, the Underworld god tying it on the post with a rope.

"We'll have to separate for a while, Seunghoon," Jinwoo told him. "You'll stay in a small house for now with my trusted attendants, who'll take of you regarding your entry."

"What for?" Seunghoon asked.

"Uh, there are just a few formalities regarding your stay here in the Underworld," the winter god explained. "Don't worry, my attendants will guide you through."

As if on cue, the Underworld's attendants materialized from the forest and stood beside Jinwoo.

"Ah, there you are," Jinwoo said, acknowledging their presence. "The guest is now here—do take care of him well."

"Yes, Master," the attendants bowed.

"And where will you be while I'm with them?" Seunghoon asked him.

"In the receiving hall, waiting for you," Jinwoo answered simply, smiling.

Seunghoon grinned. "I like the sound of that," he murmured. "All right, then. I'll see you."

"Do your best, god of the earth."

Jinwoo then turned towards the castle while Seunghoon was guided by the attendants.

*

Inside the castle, Jinwo crossed paths with Lord Jiyong, who was dressed in Celestrium robes, Sandara beside him.

"Oh, Jinwoo, just in time," the higher god greeted him, smiling. "I'm about to leave for Celestrium with Sandara. Is Seunghoon with you?"

"Yes," Jinwoo answered. "He's currently preparing for the...formalities as a temporary resident here in the Underworld."

"Is that so?" Sandara said. "It seems that Seunghoon's all right with everything, then." With an amused—and a little embarrassed—chuckle she added, "I can remember Jinwoo being very patient with me back then, putting up with my mad antics…"

Jinwoo couldn't resist a chuckle, and so did Jiyong. "Your actions were justified, love," the higher god remarked. "And yes, Jinwoo's patience towards you is very remarkable—I wish I had that when I was younger."

"Oh, you're still impatient _and_ reckless, Jiyong," the goddess quipped.

Jiyong made a face at her.

"Well, I wish you best, child," Sandara smiled, gently ruffling Jinwoo's hair. "It might not be easy for you both at first, but we can see you're very resilient."

"Thank you, noona," Jinwoo smiled, bowing slightly.

"Ah, by the way—I did relinquish my temporary hold of the Underworld to you a few days ago, right?" Jiyong asked.

"Yes you did, my Lord."

"Okay then," Jiyong nodded and smiled. "We'll be off—and good luck."

As soon as he was on his own room, Jinwoo asked one of his attendants, "Prepare my robes for me as Master of the Underworld. A new resident is entering the realm—and will present himself to me."

"Understood, my Lord," the attendant bowed and left.

The winter god plopped down on his chair, sighing. _I need to prepare myself too, I guess._

*

Jinwoo sat on his throne in the receiving hall along with select aides and a few more Underworld deities, waiting for Seunghoon to arrive. One of the attendants had told him that the summer god was ready, and he was on his way to the receiving hall.

The Underworld god felt uneasy as he waited, wondering what changes will Seunghoon have on his appearance—and even his powers. Will he be like Sandara, whose light chocolate hair darkened to an almost-black hue? Whose rosy skin paled to a snowy white, the flowers on her hair changing from spring flowers to asphodels?

A few moments later the door opened, and Jinwoo's throat felt tight and dry upon seeing Seunghoon.

The blond hue of his hair was gone, replaced by a black shade. His skin was now just as pale as Jinwoo's—probably even paler. However, his eyes never changed at all—they were an electric shade of blue. Like sapphires aglow—no, on fire, as he stared right at Jinwoo.

Dressed in a loose, sleeved tunic, tight black pants, and barefoot as he approached him—Seunghoon was probably the most arresting man Jinwoo had ever seen.

Seunghoon knelt down before him, his tunic touching the floor. His head was bowed with reverence, like that of a subject towards his king.

Towards his Master.

"Master of the Underworld, Lord Jinwoo," the summer god uttered, his eyes now meeting Jinwoo's. "I am now under you."

Those words—the oath of a residing soul, or a deity who would serve the Underworld—were the words Jinwoo had heard many times already as the Master.

Yet the electricity in Seunghoon's sapphire eyes made him think otherwise. Almost.

Mentally shaking his head, Jinwoo rose up from his seat and walked towards the summer god, trying to keep his composure.

"You are now bound to the Underworld, thus you are bound to me," Jinwoo began, uttering the same words Jiyong had said a very long time ago.

"My laws are the rules; your life will be dedicated to me.  
Yet you, a god of the earth and not of ours,  
bound through my power and of the Underworld's, hear—  
When your day starts you shall only breathe here,  
but stay no longer, lest you suffer.  
Stray no further from the realm once you are within,  
but never shall you step in when your stay comes to an end.  
"Am I understood?" Jinwoo finished.

Seunghoon bowed once more. "Yes, Master," he replied.

The Underworld god's heart skipped a beat at the sight of a subservient Seunghoon, so unlike the proud god who always graced the frontlines. Meek and obedient, like a lamb towards its shepherd, a tame lion towards its owner…

Jinwoo had to kick himself mentally to get back to the present.

"Fellow deities of the Underworld, aides, Shadows—and all those who witness this," Jinwoo's voice echoed all throughout the hall. "You see this deity before me, now bound to stay here. He might be a part of us now, yet he is a god still. Treat him as how you treat a god, yet do not let him deviate from my rule. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Master," they chorused, bowing down to him.

Jinwoo sighed, feeling a little uncomfortable with the current atmosphere. Yes, he'd been the Master of the Underworld for almost a century, yet the feeling of awkwardness within him whenever any Underworld resident acted subservient towards him...it wasn't something that faded over the years.

All the Underworld's residents might be technically under him, but for Jinwoo, they were also his family.

"Rise now, all of you—enough of this formality, I feel weird," Jinwoo smiled awkwardly, eliciting a few chuckles from the crowd. "Please welcome Seunghoon here—he'll stay here for a season or so, and will go back to the god's realm once his temporary stay is over."

"Please take care of me," Seunghoon said, standing up then turning to bow to the crowd. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to not become too much of a bother."

The present crowd seemed surprised at Seunghoon's gesture, but were pleased, nonetheless.

"I speak for all those who serve our Master," Nycto spoke up, looking at Seunghoon. "And we warmly welcome you here, Lord Seunghoon."

The summer god smiled. "Thank you, Nycto."

Jinwoo couldn't help smiling at Seunghoon's manners.

"Well then, you may go back to your respective duties, everyone," Jinwoo dismissed gently. "And do prepare for a dinner tomorrow."

"A dinner?" Seunghoon asked curiously.

"Well, it's a tradition here," Jinwoo explained. "Do you mind joining us?"

"Oh, sure," Seunghoon readily agreed, smiling. "So long as you're there."

The summer god's reply drew quizzical looks from the fading crowd, much to his confusion. "Uh, why are they giving me weird looks, Jinwoo?"

The winter god looked around and laughed softly. "Well...Dara-noona's reactions and gestures were very... _different_ from yours when she first entered here."

"Ah…"

Turning, Jinwoo said to him, "Go get some rest first—you already have a room here within the castle prepared for you. If you need something, go ask any of the attendants."

Something in Seunghoon's smile and gaze made Jinwoo think if he worded his sentence right. "Okay," the summer god said softly, a hint of something in his voice. "I'll see you then."

*

Back in his office, Jinwoo couldn't focus on his current work piled on his desk. Every now and then, the image of Seunghoon from the earlier affair would flash in his mind, and he would end up wanting to thump his head on the table.

For now, all he wanted to do was to march down towards Seunghoon's room to go see him, and—

He felt his cheeks flame, heart thudding in his chest. His daydreams weren't helping to focus at all.

Just as when he was about to give up and sleep everything off, he heard knocks against his door. Thinking it was probably just one of his aides, he stood up to open the door.

"What is it—" his words were cut off by Seunghoon's soft lips against his. The summer god's arms were tight around Jinwoo—and the latter responded just as passionately.

A moment later, they pulled away from each other, breathing ragged. For some reason, Seunghoon ended up sitting on Jinwoo's chair, the winter god on his lap.

"I missed you," the summer god rasped, his fingers dancing on Jinwoo's back. "Did I interrupt you?"

"Not really," Jinwoo muttered, leaning his head against Seunghoon's chest. "I couldn't work, anyway."

The summer god snickered, seeing the pile of work on Jinwoo's desk. "How irresponsible, Master," he teased.

His gaze, his husky voice, his familiar scent—it was slowly driving Jinwoo crazy. Since when was he...when was he this... _needy?_

"It's all your fault," the winter god bit Seunghoon's shoulder. "I couldn't think straight at all."

The summer god grinned lopsidedly. "Am I this attractive to you, then?"

"Shut up."

Seunghoon burst out laughing, cradling Jinwoo closer to him. "Don't worry, you're not alone," he softly caressed the winter god's cheeks. "It's really bold of me to act this way, but I really can't stand not being with you."

"Me too," Jinwoo mumbled, hiding his face on the crook of Seunghoon's neck.

A while later Seunghoon asked, with a slightly worried chuckle, "Won't your...subordinates find it weird, at some point?"

"What?"

"That I'm always with you, not leaving your side and, well, not being _just_ a friend."

Jinwoo laughed a little and then looked up to meet Seunghoon's gaze. "Well, they might," he admitted. "But they know when to ask and when not to ask—and keep a little secret for me."

"I'm a secret now?"

"Dummy—I meant the real reason why you're here."

"They're loyal to you," the summer god observed.

"For which I'm thankful for. That, and they're basically my family, too."

An understanding smile appeared on Seunghoon's face. "I see."

Jinwoo cuddled closer to Seunghoon, closing his eyes. For the first time in so many years, he could feel contentment and peace fill his heart. He'd never felt this magnitude of emotions before; it'd felt as if his chest had always been empty with sadness he couldn't understand, a loneliness he couldn't escape from.

Yes, he found a family within the Underworld, an older sister in Sandara and a mentor in Jiyong, but this was— _different._ As if he'd found an oasis in his desert, a taste of heaven in what he'd thought was his own purgatory.

Seunghoon was so bright and overwhelming when he first met him, but he had a warmth Jinwoo craved. The winter god was so used to the cold, but there was something in his warmth that made Jinwoo want it so much.

Now the warmth was with him, by his side, never leaving him regardless of the circumstances. A warmth he loved, a warmth he wanted to keep, a warmth he would gladly cherish.

Jinwoo slightly raised his head to look at Seunghoon, his fingers gently tracing the lines of his face, as if memorizing each detail. His forehead, the soft tendrils of his hair, the curve of his nose, his lips (that always drove him insane), and his eyes. Glowing, sparkling sapphire orbs—it was Jinwoo's favorite part of him.

The summer god caught his hand and brushed his lips against the winter god's knuckles adoringly. "I do believe you owe me a tour of the Underworld, Jinwoo," he murmured.

"Ah, right. Do you want to?"

Seunghoon's smile made Jinwoo's heart leap to his throat. "Please."

At that, Jinwoo stood up from Seunghoon's lap, the summer god following suit. "The realm is a pretty large place, so I'll tour you around the castle for now. Is that okay?"

"Well, whatever you deem fit," Seunghoon shrugged. "Shall we?"

The two then left Jinwoo's office, the Underworld god closing the door. After a second or so, he reached out to hold Seunghoon's hand.

He didn't care if any of his subordinates would find it strange. He wanted to let everyone know how happy he was right now.

Seunghoon grasped his hand tighter, and together, they walked around the Underworld's fortress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I would want to really keep writing (especially Mino's), I'll have to slow down things a bit. Anyway, I'm still technically on hiatus, and yeah.
> 
> Still, I'm really thankful for your support and reading my fics TT

**Author's Note:**

> To know more tidbits + random stuff I add about the gods, check this [thread](https://twitter.com/cieruleaxxe/status/1064387887649574912) here.  
>   
> Or if you have any questions, go straight here: [at my ccat.](https://curiouscat.me/hoonyslobelias)


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